Photo by Hannah Peters - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash between Paraguay and France at Philadelphia Stadium was a surprisingly heated encounter, with the France team struggling to catch a break.

A penalty kick in the second half of the Paraguay vs France match, precisely in the 70th minute, produced the only goal of the game. France’s 159th FIFA World Cup goal not only propelled the French team to the next stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 but also pushed the team captain, and might I say, one of the tournament’s biggest MVPs, further ahead in the race for individual accolades that players are chasing alongside the 2026 FIFA World Cup title, such as the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot.

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World Cup 2026 Golden Boot Race

credit-x-at-equipedefrance Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland in epic battle
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Kylian Mbappé’s 19th overall FIFA World Cup goal also sends major shockwaves through the race for the 2026 Golden Boot. Although Erling Haaland had his eyes on the Golden Boot and jokingly expressed how Lionel Messi was making things difficult for him, he may have more to worry about, with Kylian Mbappe also in the race. The Norwegian legend, in his own right, is a goal-scoring machine with five goals in the tournament so far.

Haaland is now in for even more competition, as Kylian Mbappé is giving Lionel Messi a run for his money. The France captain has now drawn level with Messi on seven goals after scoring against Paraguay, making the race for the Golden Boot even tighter.

The top players in the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot are as follows:

  1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 7 Goals
  2. Kylian Mbappé (France) – 7 Goals
  3. Erling Haaland (Norway) – 5 Goals
  4. Harry Kane (England) – 5 Goals
  5. Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) – 4 Goals
  6. Ousmane Dembélé (France) – 4 Goals
  7. Vinícius Jr. (Brazil) – 4 Goals

Most goals in FIFA World Cup History

WROCLAW, POLAND - SEPTEMBER 5: Ousmane Dembele of France looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Ukraine and France at Tarczynski Arena Mateusz Slodkowski/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mateusz Slodkowski/Getty Images)

Since Lionel Messi scored a hat trick in his opening match and surpassed Miroslav Klose, every goal that has followed from Messi and other prolific goalscorers like Kylian Mbappé has shaken up the all-time FIFA World Cup goals rankings. Lionel Messi now leads the pack with 20 goals, while Kylian Mbappé sits a close second with 19.

Here is a look at the top five goalscorers in FIFA World Cup history.

  • Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 20 Goals
  • Kylian Mbappe (France) – 19 Goals
  • Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 Goals
  • Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15 Goals
  • Gerd Muller (Germany) – 14 Goals