Here is a number that needs sitting with for a moment: 18. Eighteen career World Cup goals. Miroslav Klose spent his entire career chasing Ronaldo's original record, broke it in 2014 in Brazil with his 16th goal, and held it for 12 years. Messi broke it in two matches. He had a hat-trick against Algeria in the first game, then came out against Austria and — despite missing a penalty early — scored twice more in the second half. He has accounted for all five of Argentina's goals so far. Every single one.

At 38 years old, in what he has confirmed is his final World Cup, this is Messi doing things that his age and the occasion suggest are not possible. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was essentially at a loss afterwards. "We are amazed with him still, although we get to see him on a daily basis and he's been the best for 20 years. He still pulls it off every single match."

Argentina have already sealed top spot in Group J with a game to spare. Messi may not start against the already-eliminated Jordan. If he does not, that is one game fewer to add to his tally. The challenge is converting group-stage form into knockout-stage goals — seven matches if they go all the way — but given what he has done in two games, nobody is questioning his ability to do it.

Mbappé was the pre-tournament favourite for this award and nothing in the opening two weeks has changed that argument. Two against Senegal. Two against Iraq. Eight goals in Qatar four years ago when he won the Golden Boot outright. He knows how to maintain this across a tournament — he has done it before.

In the opening game against Senegal, he became France's all-time leading scorer. He now has 16 career World Cup goals — level with Miroslav Klose in second place — having had to watch Messi go one better with an almost immediate further two against Austria. If you ask Mbappé directly about the Messi comparison, he deflects with genuine grace. "He is the best of the best with Cristiano. It's clear. I just try to show what I can do on the biggest stage."

France are through to the Round of 32 and will face Norway in the Group I finale on June 26 with first place still to be decided. That match has an extra dimension: Mbappé versus Haaland in a Golden Boot shootout. Two players on four goals, both needing to outscore the other for group leadership and bragging rights on the individual award. It will be must-watch football.

Norway had not been at a World Cup in 28 years. Their last appearance was France 1998. And in their very first game back, Erling Haaland scored twice against Iraq, then scored twice again in a hard-fought 3-2 win over Senegal on Matchday 2. Four goals from two games. He has already become Norway's all-time leading World Cup scorer — a record that, given the length of time since they last appeared, was not exactly a high bar, but four goals is four goals regardless.

What Haaland does at World Cups is the same thing he does at every level: scores goals. He has 59 international goals in 52 games for Norway. That conversion rate is not a fluke, it is a mechanical inevitability. When asked about his remarkable scoring record after the Iraq game, he gave the most Haaland answer imaginable: "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. It's just how it is."

The uncertainty around Haaland is Norway's path through the tournament. If they face France in the Group I finale and lose, the bracket could throw difficult opponents at them early in the knockouts. Haaland needs Norway to go deep to challenge Messi and Mbappé's totals.

Nobody had Vinicius down as a Golden Boot contender before the tournament. He was at +3300. Then he scored twice against Haiti and twice against Scotland in Brazil's 3-0 win and suddenly the picture changed completely. Four goals from two games, odds collapsing from +3300 to +850, and Brazil looking like one of the more dangerous sides in the tournament.

The Brazil path is strong — they lead their group and the knockout bracket sets up well. If Vinicius maintains this form, he could genuinely be in this conversation come the semi-finals. Brazil going all the way would give him eight matches. That is enough time to catch anyone.

Kane scored twice against Croatia in England's brilliant 4-2 opening win and now has 10 career World Cup goals — level with Gary Lineker as England's all-time top scorer at the tournament. One more goal makes him the outright record holder. It is a milestone that will define his international legacy regardless of what England win or lose, and with Panama and a full knockout run still ahead, the record will almost certainly fall.

The Golden Boot itself is a much longer shot. He is three goals behind Messi and needs both to keep scoring and for England to go very deep — ideally to the semi-finals. It is possible. Tuchel told his players to "let the shackles off" at half-time against Croatia and they responded in a way England teams rarely have at tournaments. Kane is at +1800, which reflects how far behind the leaders he is. But the personal record is coming, and soon.

Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo in their opener and Ronaldo, visibly frustrated, barely touched the ball in the final third. Then came Uzbekistan. A 5-0 win. Two goals from Ronaldo. And after the second, he turned to the camera and roared two words: "I'm back. I'm back." At 41 years old, in what he has confirmed is his last World Cup, it was one of the more charged moments of the tournament's opening fortnight.

He also became the first man ever to score in six different World Cup tournaments. 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and now 2026. Nobody has done that before. He has 10 career World Cup goals for Portugal — the country's all-time record at the tournament — and at +2500, the Golden Boot is a very long shot. But he is in the conversation, and the Messi-Ronaldo parallel — both at their final World Cups, both scoring, both still capable — is the single best narrative the sport has produced in years.