The 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race was unbelievably tight after the first couple of rounds of matches thanks to so many big stars scoring in bunches. However, one name has begun to separate from the rest of the field.The one name is, of course, Lionel Messi. The 39-year-old Argentina star scored in all three group games and is two goals ahead of everyone else in the tournament. He has six goals, and his latest came against Jordan when Messi didn’t even start the match.Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni rested Messi because La Albiceleste had already clinched first place in the group beforehand. In typical Messi fashion, he subbed on in the 60th minute and scored in the 80th on a free kick. If we’re being honest, the Jordan goalkeeper probably should have done better with Messi’s shot, but that doesn’t matter in the Golden Boot race.
Lionel Messi, the first player in FIFA World Cup history to score in 7 consecutive matches at the tournament 😱 pic.twitter.com/BXcQFsbZdi
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 28, 2026As a result, Messi is now the minus-odds favorite to win the World Cup Golden Boot, which would be the first of his career. Messi currently sits at -125 on DraftKings, but only -105 on FanDuel. That means Messi vs. the rest of the field is roughly a coin flip.Another factor working in Messi’s favor to win the award is the draw. Argentina take on Cape Verde to start the knockout phase, which is the most lopsided match of the round. Messi is -200 to score a goal in that match. In the next round, Argentina would be almost as heavily favored against Australia or Egypt. He already has a two-goal cushion on everyone else and is in a good position to get more goals thanks to the road ahead.France’s Kylian Mbappé is the top contender with odds ranging from +250 on BetMGM to +320 on DraftKings. Mbappé didn’t score in France’s final group game against Norway, but he is one of four players with four goals.
