Which goal from yesterday had the most impact? Who will be the true frontrunner for the Golden Boot?
Four thrilling matches finally moved beyond meaningless upsets and became real football games, allowing us to see why star players are stars.
Mbappe scored twice in France's victory, one a brilliant goal born of pure running and timing, the other a stunning long-range strike despite Mendy's mistake. The first half was frustrating, with the attack sometimes disjointed, but Mbappe stepped up and changed the course of the game.
Messi completed a hat-trick, becoming one of the joint top scorers in World Cup history,an incredible achievement.
Haaland's shooting ability is undeniable. Norway can generally dominate weaker teams, but what kind of limitations will Haaland face against stronger opponents?
While it's too early to discuss the Golden Boot after only one group stage match, with these goal-scoring machines, who goes further in the World Cup will determine the winner, and Kane's England hasn't even started yet. If we set aside the sheer number of goals and instead explore whose impact was most significant, Messi is the first name that comes to mind. He dominated the game with his absolute intelligence and skill, writing history with his six World Cup appearances and becoming a true legend.
After the match, I checked the Golden Boot predictions on SportEval AI, and one of the most popular predictions wasn't for Messi, but rather for Kane and Mbappe. If this prediction comes true, the Golden Boot race might ultimately boil down to who can lead their country the furthest.
Who do you think will win the Golden Boot?
Posted Jun 17, 2026, 11:56 AM UTC