News Desk : Legacies are rarely defined by what is missing. Yet for Lionel Messi, whose career has been adorned with football's greatest prizes, one notable omission remains. The World Cup Golden Boot has long escaped his grasp, but at 38 and perhaps at his final World Cup, he is giving himself one last opportunity to claim it. Messi has set the tournament alight with five goals in Argentina's opening two matches, including a hat-trick against Algeria and a brace against Austria.

The Argentine's exploits have also placed him in elite company. He is the first player since Just Fontaine in 1958 to score five goals in his team's first two World Cup matches and looks well placed to finally capture the Golden Boot after narrowly missing out in Qatar 2022. However, the race is far from settled. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are close behind with four goals each, while Harry Kane and Vinicius Junior remain in contention. As the knockout rounds approach, the chase for the Golden Boot is shaping up to be one of the tournament's most captivating storylines.

With Argentina looking like serious title contenders and several matches potentially still ahead, Messi has a genuine opportunity to secure the final major individual honour missing from his glittering collection. However, with Mbappe, Haaland and other challengers breathing down his neck, the battle for the Golden Boot could become one of the defining stories of the 2026 World Cup.