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FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
Sport
Chris Nee

World Cup 2026 Golden Boot power rankings: Can Lionel Messi top the scoring charts?

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates after completing a hat-trick during the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Kansas City Stadium) in Kansas City (Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images).

When football fans come to look back on World Cup 2026, the tournament's entertainment value will be evaluated in large part on the number of goals scored in its 104 matches.

World Cup 2026 already has the highest total, surpassing Qatar 2022. With 48 teams involved, it's the biggest World Cup ever by far, but the wealth of attacking talent on show has also delivered a goals-per-game average high enough to keep the world on the edge of its seat.

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