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Two of football’s greatest players are locked in a dead heat at the 2026 World Cup, and the ripple effects extend well beyond the pitch. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe each have 6 goals in the tournament being held across the US, Canada, and Mexico, with Mbappe holding a slight edge through FIFA’s tie-breaking criteria thanks to his 2 assists.
The race by the numbers
Mbappe pulled level with Messi after scoring twice against Sweden in the Round of 32. That brace was vintage Mbappe: the kind of explosive, highlight-reel performance that defined his 2022 Golden Boot campaign in Qatar, where he took home the award despite France losing the final.
Messi, meanwhile, has become the all-time leading men’s World Cup goalscorer during this tournament, surpassing records that had stood for decades. At what many expect will be his sixth and final World Cup, the 39-year-old is still among the most dangerous finishers in the competition.
Behind the two headliners, Erling Haaland of Norway and England’s Harry Kane have each netted 5 goals. France’s Ousmane Dembele and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior sit on 4 apiece. The knockout stages are tightening the field, which means fewer games and higher stakes for every remaining striker.
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