Tournament Hub

By Steve Davies

The goals are flowing at the 23rd Fifa World Cup as the greatest forwards in the game flex their muscles in North America.

It means the race for the Golden Boot could be a thrilling sideshow to the main event with so many contenders in the hunt for the prize.

Going into the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup it is clear who is in pole position to wear the Golden Boot - and it is one of the few honours he has never won.

Argentina's Lionel Messi finished second behind Kylian Mbappe in Qatar with seven goals and after the group stage of this summer's finals is already on the six-goal mark.

That puts the little legend two clear of the rest of the field and as the market leader to take home another of the sport's most cherished accolades.

And it is what lies ahead as much as what he has already done which seems to make Messi still great value to finish top scorer.

Argentina should see off Cape Verde and either Australia or Egypt and would not fear whoever emerges from the Switzerland-Algeria-Colombia-Ghana section of the draw.

The reigning world champions have to fancy a place in the semis, which would mean five more games to be played and Messi could set a bar no one else ever gets near.

Harry Kane has got some catching up to do but a man who has scored 70 goals since last August ought to be confident of doing anything.

Kane scored two for England in the 4-2 win over Croatia and another in the 2-0 win over Panama.

And like Messi and Argentina, the England captain can probably see a route to the semis - and therefore five more matches.

Kane will hope to fill his boot against DR Congo in the last 32 at which point the double-figure quotes that you can currently get for him to win the Golden Boot would be slashed.

Certainly the bottom half of the draw - where Argentina and England are housed - looks the softer.

And that is going to limit the chances potentially of France duo Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, who both have four goals after the group stage.

France's route through the knockouts could feature Sweden, Germany, Netherlands and Spain, none of whom are gimmes and each of whom could do for Didier Deschamps' men.

Cristiano Ronaldo has surely given himself too much to do with only two goals to his name while backers of four-goal Erling Haaland must be cursing Stale Solbakken's decision to drop him for their final group game against France.