FIFA WC 2026 begins today in US, Canada and Mexico

The 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026, starting from June 11 and set to be held across the US, Canada and Mexico, will feature more teams, players and matches than any previous edition of the marquee event. With that, the World Cup is also expected to produce more goals than in earlier editions, reported ANI. Host Mexico will play against South Africa in the inaugural match at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Notably, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 40 more matches than any previous edition. However, it remains uncertain who will finish as the tournament's top scorer. With the much-anticipated showpiece event being just over a day away from the kick-off, here's a look at the 10 leading players most likely to win the Golden Boot, according to the FIFA website. Kylian Mbappe The French star has scored 56 goals in 98 international appearances, including 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches. The forward has scored 39 goals in his last 49 appearances for Les Bleus and has maintained nearly a goal-a-game record at both Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. With the support of top players like Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Michael Olise, Mbappe is well placed to target back-to-back World Cup Golden Boots. Harry Kane England's skipper has scored 79 goals in 113 international appearances, including 8 goals in 11 World Cup matches. He will lead England in Group L, where they are set to face Croatia, Ghana and Panama. The 32-year-old has maintained an average of more than a goal per Bundesliga match since joining Bayern Munich in 2023, and has recorded five calendar years in the last nine in which he has scored at least as many goals as England appearances. Kane will also be boosted by the support of players such as Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka. Mikel Oyarzabal The Spanish forward has scored 25 goals in 53 international appearances, although he is yet to feature in a World Cup match. He is set to play in Group H, where Spain will face Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Supported by the likes of Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, Oyarzabal has scored 13 goals in his last 13 appearances for Spain. Erling Haaland The Norwegian has scored 55 goals in 50 international appearances, though he is yet to play in a World Cup match. He will feature in Group I, where Norway are set to face Iraq, Senegal and France. Haaland's numbers are extraordinary. Last October, he became only the sixth player in history--and the first in 53 years--to reach 50 international goals in fewer than 50 appearances. Although Norway have been drawn into a challenging group, Haaland, supported by players such as Oscar Bobb, Antonio Nusa and Martin Odegaard, is capable of scoring against any opposition. Lionel Messi The Argentine legend has scored 117 goals in 199 international appearances, including 13 goals in 26 World Cup matches. He will lead Argentina in Group J, where they are set to face Algeria, Austria and Jordan. One of the greatest goal scorers in football history will turn 39 during the tournament, yet he continues to find the net with ease. Messi has scored 35 goals in his last 37 appearances for Argentina and is still breaking records at Inter Miami. Interestingly, the Golden Boot remains one of the few honours he has not won, despite being one of only two players to score more than six goals in a single edition without claiming it. He will look to change that and win his first Golden Boot in the 2026 edition. Cristiano Ronaldo Another all-time great, the Portuguese forward has netted 143 goals in 226 international appearances, including 8 in 22 World Cup matches. He will feature for Portugal in Group K, where they are scheduled to face Congo DR, Uzbekistan and Colombia. International football's all-time leading goalscorer continues to deliver at the highest level. Now 40, he is still setting new scoring benchmarks with Al Nassr and has scored 25 goals in his last 30 appearances for Portugal. Ronaldo will believe he can surpass his best World Cup tally of four goals, set at Russia 2018. Lamine Yamal The Spanish forward has scored six goals in 25 international appearances and is yet to feature in a FIFA World Cup match. The winger will be just six days past his 19th birthday when the World Cup concludes, giving him a chance to become the youngest player ever to win the Golden Boot. The current record is held by James Rodriguez, who was 23 years and one day old when he claimed the award in 2014. Ousmane Dembele The French forward has scored seven goals in 59 international appearances and is yet to score in 11 FIFA World Cup matches. Dembele is considered a leading contender because of his impressive form at club level. He has transformed from a dynamic winger into a prolific goalscorer, netting 55 goals for Paris Saint-Germain over the last two seasons. However, with Kylian Mbappe expected to lead the line for France, Dembele is likely to play in a supporting role, either behind the striker or on the wing. Vinicius Junior The Brazilian has scored nine goals in 49 international appearances, including one goal in four World Cup matches. He is set to feature in Group C, where Brazil will face Morocco, Haiti and Scotland. The 25-year-old may appear an unexpected contender given his playing position and lower goalscoring numbers compared to some of his rivals. However, Vinicius has consistently delivered in front of goal for Real Madrid, scoring more than 20 goals in each of the last five seasons. Raphinha Another Brazilian on the list, he has scored 11 goals in 38 international appearances and is yet to find the net in five FIFA World Cup matches. Known for his threat from long range, the attacking midfielder has scored 55 goals in 90 appearances for Barcelona since the start of the 2024-25 season. Raphinha is also likely to be Brazil's designated penalty taker and could handle a share of the team's free-kicks, further boosting his goalscoring prospects. The first match of the global showpiece event will be played between Mexico and South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium on June 11. Iran threatens to halt games if unauthorised flags or slogans raised Iran has warned it may suspend its 2026 FIFA World Cup matches if unauthorised flags are displayed or if slogans targeting the national team are chanted inside stadiums, Reuters reported, citing Iranian media who quoted the country's Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali. The World Cup begins on June 11, with Iran opening their Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They will then face Belgium at the same venue on June 21 before concluding their group stage against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Ahmad Donyamali said the country has informed FIFA that matches involving Iran could be stopped if unauthorised flags are displayed or anti-team slogans are chanted in stadiums. He also added that assurances have been received that no disruptions are expected during the match against Egypt. We have informed FIFA that if unofficial flags are brought or slogans against the national team are chanted in the stadiums where Iran plays in the World Cup, the team manager will definitely be responsible for stopping the match. We have been assured that no disruptive incidents will occur in the stadium during the match against Egypt, Donyamali said, according to Reuters, who cited Iranian media. Notably, this comes a day after the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFRI) stated that its share of FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets was withdrawn before the tournament, leaving supporters who had already booked trips without access to their team's matches. According to the Iranian football federation, it had already begun selling tickets allocated to it for World Cup fixtures, but the distribution was later revoked. The federation said that as a result, several Iranian fans who had relied on the official ticketing process and completed travel bookings are now unable to attend the matches. Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries, the FFIRI said in a statement as per Reuters. This development raises serious questions about the interference of non-sporting and political considerations in the organisation of the world's biggest football event, they had said further. This is despite the fact that many Iranian football fans, relying on the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the matches, the statement further said. Notably, under FIFA regulations, each participating federation receives around 8 per cent of tickets for its matches, which are then distributed at its discretion among fans. While the FFIRI did not specify who decided to withhold the tickets, it urged FIFA to act in line with its principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations and prevent external issues from affecting the showpiece event. Iran's World Cup campaign has so far been marred by uncertainty due to the ongoing political tensions involving the United States and Israel. The FFIRI negotiated a last-minute shift of the team's base camp from Arizona to Mexico amid uncertainty over US visa approvals and a growing sentiment in Iran that the squad should minimise its time on American soil. After weeks of uncertainty, the United States granted visas to all Iranian players last week, just over a week before their opening match, although several team staff members were denied entry.