Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland all scored twice on the same day at the World Cup, strengthening their positions among the tournament’s leading performers and intensifying the race for the Golden Boot.
Haaland struck twice in Norway’s 3-2 victory over Senegal on Monday night, scoring both goals within the opening 15 minutes of the second half. The goals capped another influential display from the Manchester City forward, who had earlier missed a header and seen a shot hit the post shortly before half-time.
His performance came hours after Messi scored twice in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria in Arlington, Texas. The Argentine captain once again proved decisive, producing the key moments in front of goal as his side secured another victory and advanced their World Cup campaign. The brace took Messi's tally in the tournament to five goals and extended his all-time World Cup record to 18 goals.
Mbappé also delivered a match-winning display as France defeated Iraq 3-0 in Philadelphia. The France captain scored twice and spearheaded another commanding attacking performance from the 2022 World Cup runners-up. His latest goals lifted him to four in the tournament and 16 overall in World Cup history, drawing level with former record holder Miroslav Klose.
Between them, the three forwards have now scored 13 goals at the tournament. Messi leads the standings with five goals, while Mbappé and Haaland have four each.
Despite playing for a Norway side with a far less distinguished international record than Argentina or France, Haaland has continued to make a major impact in his first World Cup appearance.
“He is the best striker,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said through an interpreter. “He is not playing for France or Argentina. He scores for Norway.”
The coach acknowledged the challenge facing his striker in the race for the tournament’s top scorer award.
“It’s easier to win the Golden Boot when you play for France and Argentina,” Solbakken said. “But we’ll try to give Erling more games and more help in the next matches.”
Messi's latest performance reinforced his status as Argentina's driving force, while Mbappé's clinical finishing kept France among the favourites for the title. Both players have combined consistency with decisive contributions in the group stage, setting up a compelling battle with Haaland for the tournament's individual scoring honours.
Haaland now has four goals in the competition after helping Norway reach the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
“I’m part of something special. Norway’s part of something special. We’re making history,” Haaland said.
The 25-year-old has now scored in 12 consecutive competitive matches for Norway, recording 24 goals during that run. The last competitive international in which he failed to score was in October 2024.
“He’s on fire,” Solbakken said. “I’m very happy for him that he can score on the biggest stage.”
Haaland’s first goal against Senegal came from a four-on-two counter-attack after a frustrating first half in front of goal. His second effort struck the crossbar before bouncing into the net, prompting him to celebrate by cupping his ear towards Norway supporters dressed in red.
Asked about his remarkable scoring form, Haaland offered a characteristically modest assessment.
“It’s my speciality to score goals,” he said. “It’s like many other things: I’m just really good at scoring goals, and I’m quite lucky. I don’t know what I’m doing, but yeah. That’s just how it is.”
