Lionel Messi has won almost everything in football, but one prize remains elusive: the World Cup Golden Boot. At 38, and playing what may be his final World Cup, Messi is making a compelling case to finally claim it.
With five goals in two games, including a hat-trick against Algeria and a brace against Austria, Messi leads the Golden Boot race. He has already surpassed Miroslav Klose's long-standing men's World Cup scoring record and Marta's tally, making him the highest goalscorer in World Cup history across both men's and women's football.
However, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are among the challengers, with Mbappe chasing history of his own and Haaland looking to progress with Norway. Harry Kane and Vinicius Junior are also contenders, but Cristiano Ronaldo's chances appear slim at the moment.
With at least two, and potentially six, matches still to play, Messi is on course to become the first player to reach double figures in a World Cup since West Germany's Gerd Müller scored 10 goals in 1970.
