Messi tops the Golden Boot race

Lionel Messi has once again proven that his hunger for goals has not diminished as he gets older. The Argentine captain, who is in great form at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, showed his mettle by coming on as a substitute against Jordan on Monday. He scored from a stunning free-kick in the 80th minute of the match to increase his goal tally in the tournament to six.

Thanks to this goal, the 39-year-old superstar has single-handedly risen to the top of the Golden Boot race. Messi is now the center of discussion after scoring six goals in just three matches, leaving behind the best young forwards of the time like Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior. His impressive goal-scoring statistics in the group stage show that age is just a number.

Messi also played a key role in Argentina's success in the first two matches of the World Cup. He came on in the 60th minute of the match against Jordan, when Argentina was leading 2-1 but the opposition was putting pressure on them. He brought momentum to the attack as soon as he came on the field and almost secured the team's victory with a great goal from a free-kick in the end.

Messi won the Silver Boot with seven goals at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. This time, he has become one of the main contenders for the Golden Boot by scoring six goals before the end of the group stage. If he can maintain his current form, his chances of winning another World Cup Golden Boot in his career will also be bright.

Argentina will take on Cape Verde in the Round of 32 on July 3. If Messi can maintain the same consistency in the knockout stage, then Argentina's dream of winning the Golden Boot as well as retaining the title will get a stronger foundation.