Soccer's brightest stars aren't disappointing on the world's biggest stage.
Lionel Messi leads the World Cup with five goals through two games, becoming the tournament's most decorated goalscorer in the process. The Argentinian icon netted a hat-trick in his first game against Algeria then added two more tallies versus Austria to reach 18 World Cup goals for his career.
Despite leading the tournament, Messi isn't the betting favorite to win the Golden Boot award as the tournament's top goalscorer. Kylian Mbappe has kept pace with Messi's scoring output, potting four goals in two games to maintain his position as the betting favorite.
Golden Boot odds
| Player (Goals) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappe (4) | +150 |
| Lionel Messi (5) | +160 |
| Erling Haaland (4) | +600 |
| Harry Kane (2) | +800 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo (2) | +2000 |
| Mikel Oyarzabal (2) | +2500 |
⚽️ Bet on who will lead the World Cup in goals with theScore Bet here
Argentina has already clinched Group J, which means Messi may not play - or will at least have his minutes reduced - in a meaningless game against Jordan on Saturday. Meanwhile, France, the +350 favorite to win the World Cup on theScore Bet, has a showdown versus Norway on Friday to determine Group I's top seed. Mbappe is slated to log a full 90 minutes, which could play a role in his Golden Boot chances.
Speaking of Norway, striker Erling Haaland is the third favorite to lead the tournament in goals. The World Cup first-timer has four goals to match Mbappe, but Norway isn't expected to make as deep a run as either France or Argentina, which is why Haaland's odds are much longer. Norway is +1000 to reach the final, while France is +215 and Argentina is +295.
However, if Norway can surprise with an appearance in the quarters or semis, Haaland could easily find himself atop the leaderboard, even if his team plays fewer games than France and Argentina.
England's Harry Kane is fourth on the oddsboard despite being held scoreless in the Three Lions' draw versus Ghana. He scored twice in their tournament opener, and because anything short of an appearance in the final will be a disappointment for the English faithful, Kane should have plenty of opportunities to score. With that said, he's already playing catch-up against two of the world's best strikers.
Cristiano Ronaldo was held off the scoresheet in Portugal's first contest. Then he joined the conversation by netting two goals against Uzbekistan, becoming the oldest player (41) to record a multi-goal game at the World Cup. Like Kane, Ronaldo will probably need another multi-goal performance - or two - to catch the leaders, but it's a bonus having another all-time great in a captivating Golden Boot race.
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