The early stages of the current World Cup have erupted into a historic showcase of attacking brilliance, headlined by two of the game’s biggest global superstars whose record-breaking goal sprees have captured the attention of even casual soccer fans across the United States. Argentina’s Lionel Messi has bagged five goals through his team’s opening two group stage matches, pushing his all-time World Cup career goal total to 18 – a new outright record for the tournament. Not far behind is France’s Kylian Mbappe, who has notched four goals in this edition alone, bringing his own career tally to 16, which ties him for second place on the all-time scoring list.
The dynamic between the two forward icons stretches back to the iconic 2022 Qatar World Cup final, where the pair combined for five unforgettable goals – two from Messi, three from Mbappe – before Argentina claimed the trophy in a tense penalty shootout, a title match still hailed as one of the greatest in the tournament’s history. Today, both men are pushing that legacy forward, and their friendly rivalry has turned the 2026 iteration of the World Cup into a personal masterclass of finishing. What makes Messi’s historic run all the more remarkable is that it is coming at an age when most elite strikers have long retired from top international competition. The Inter Miami forward, formerly of Barcelona, will turn 39 just three days before Argentina plays its final group stage match against Jordan, and 12 of his 18 World Cup goals have come after he turned 35. Contrary to expectations for a player of his age, Messi still displays the signature pinpoint touch, clinical passing in congested defense, and unexpected full-match stamina that defined his decades-long career. His match-sealing second goal against Austria exemplified this enduring quality: after Julián Álvarez’s initial shot was blocked, Messi tracked down the loose rebound and slid a finish past two defenders to lock in a 2-0 win, leaving opposing manager Ralf Rangnick full of praise. “We knew that he is on a level of his own, and Lionel Messi showed us today that he’s one of the best, and he is the best,” Rangnick said.
At 27, Mbappe is in the peak of his physical powers, with the blistering speed and ruthless finishing from both feet that has made him the most feared young striker in the game, perfectly positioned to chase down Messi’s record both in this tournament and in future competitions. Mbappe’s World Cup legacy was already secure by 19, when he led France to the 2018 title in Russia, becoming just the second teenager alongside Pele to score in a World Cup final. He took home the Golden Boot as top scorer with eight goals in 2022, and his scoring rate far outpaces that of Messi: 16 goals in just 16 World Cup matches since 2018, compared to Messi’s 18 goals across 28 matches spread over six tournaments dating back to 2006. Despite his own historic form, Mbappe has remained humble in the face of Messi’s achievement, saying after his latest goals, “Leo always scores. He’ll always score. If I want to look at what Leo’s doing, I’ll have to do even more.” Later, when asked to name the best player in the world, he reiterated that title belongs to Messi.
Messi and Mbappe are not the only forwards tearing up the scoreboard in this tournament. Norway, making its first World Cup appearance since 1998, has seen its star striker Erling Haaland bag four goals in two opening matches, two in each of Norway’s wins to clinch a spot in the elimination round. The 25-year-old Manchester City standout has been the most dominant striker in European club soccer for years, and he enters Friday’s group stage finale against Mbappe’s France with a chance to win the group – a matchup that has already become one of the most anticipated matches of the entire group stage. While Haaland downplayed his expectations for the fixture, saying “We’re through (to the next round), which is incredible, so I couldn’t care too much about that game now. They (France) are probably going to win against us, they’re probably going to win the whole tournament,” his manager Stale Solbakken made clear the impact Haaland has already had on Norway’s historic return to the World Cup. “He is the best striker,” Solbakken said. “He’s not playing for France or Argentina. He scores for Norway.” If Norway can advance deep into the tournament, Haaland stands a real chance of overtaking both Messi and Mbappe to claim the Golden Boot as this tournament’s top scorer. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo also added to his career total this week, notching two goals against Uzbekistan to push his all-time World Cup tally to 10.
With Argentina and France both having already secured their spots in the knockout round, both Messi and Mbappe will have plenty of matches left to add to their record goal totals, and both sides remain among the top favorites to lift the World Cup trophy at the end of the tournament.