Lionel Messi did it again. With Argentina down 2-0 to Egypt with just 11 minutes left in regulation, the 38-year-old pulled off something that felt almost scripted. He scored once, set up another, and watched his teammates finish the job in a 3-2 comeback win that sent the reigning champions into the World Cup quarterfinals.
The goal was Messi’s eighth of the tournament. That put him back on top of the Golden Boot standings, ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, who both had big nights of their own earlier this week. Messi is now the first player ever to score in six straight World Cup knockout games. He already passed Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history earlier in this tournament. At this point, you kind of stop being surprised.
The Egypt game was wild. Argentina looked dead for most of the second half. Then Messi decided otherwise. He pulled one back in the 79th minute, then slipped a pass through to Lautaro Martinez for the equalizer two minutes later. Julian Alvarez completed the turnaround in stoppage time. The stadium in Atlanta lost its mind. So did the internet.
Haaland sends Brazil home early
Haaland isn’t backing down either. A night after Messi’s heroics, the Norwegian striker scored twice as Norway knocked Brazil out of the tournament in the round of 16. That’s a massive upset, no matter how you slice it. Haaland now has seven goals for the tournament, and he’s been carrying a Norway team that nobody expected to make this kind of run. His late winner against Ivory Coast in the round of 32 set the tone, and the Brazil performance just confirmed he’s a legitimate threat to take this Golden Boot home.
Mbappe has been quieter over the past couple matches, but he’s still sitting on six goals for France. Nobody’s counting him out. He’s the kind of player who can score two in a quarterfinal and make the whole race look different again.
Harry Kane keeps England alive
Harry Kane is right there too. England’s captain scored his sixth goal of the World Cup from the penalty spot as a 10-man England team beat co-host Mexico at the Estadio Azteca. That win was gritty. England played a man down for more than half an hour and still found a way. Kane’s consistency from the spot has been huge, but he’s also been involved in build-up play more than people give him credit for.
Here’s the current top of the Golden Boot leaderboard:
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 8 goals
- Erling Haaland (Norway) — 7 goals
- Kylian Mbappe (France) — 6 goals
- Harry Kane (England) — 6 goals
The quarterfinals start this weekend. Messi and Argentina face a tough Netherlands side. Haaland gets Portugal. Mbappe’s France draws Morocco. Kane’s England takes on Spain. Any of these four could jump ahead. But right now, Messi has the edge — and the history books keep getting rewritten every time he steps on the field.
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