Epic race for the "Golden Boot" of the World Cup

Erling Haaland led Norway to a historic quarter-final qualification, the first in the nation’s history, scoring both goals in a sensational 2–1 victory over Brazil.

In doing so, he has levelled with Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring chart, with seven goals each.

England captain Harry Kane is just behind the leading trio with six goals, after converting a penalty in a dramatic 3–2 win over Mexico, which sent the “Three Lions” into a quarter-final clash with Norway.

Candidates for the “Golden Boot” will try to break the record of the legendary Frenchman Just Fontaine, who scored an incredible 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup in a single tournament.

To date, only three players in World Cup history have reached double-digit goal tallies in a single tournament — Just Fontaine (13 goals, 1958), West Germany’s Gerd Müller (10 goals, 1970), and Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis (11 goals, 1954).

When it comes to the all-time World Cup scoring list, German striker Miroslav Klose entered the tournament as the record holder with 16 goals.

However, both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have since surpassed him during the 2026 World Cup and now sit ahead of the legendary German striker.