Three Players With Seven Goals in One Tournament Has Never Happened Before
Messi 8, Haaland 7, Mbappé 7. The Golden Boot race is a three-way sprint with four matches left.
The Kid flagged this one and I had to read it twice: first time in World Cup history three players have scored seven or more goals in a single tournament. Messi has eight. Haaland has seven. Mbappé has seven. We're not even through the quarterfinals.
Just Fontaine's 13 in 1958 has looked untouchable for 68 years. Three guys are within range of it simultaneously.
Messi's hat trick against Egypt was the most Messi thing I've ever seen. Down 2-0 in the 77th minute. Thirteen minutes later, hat trick complete. Argentina advances 3-2. He went from potentially eliminated to tournament leading scorer in the time it takes to watch a quarter of a football game.
The path from here: Mbappé plays Morocco tomorrow. That's the 2022 semifinal rematch. He needs goals and he knows it. Haaland plays England Friday. Quansah is suspended. England's defense will be stretched and Haaland is different right now — he just put two past Brazil. Messi plays Switzerland Friday. Switzerland survived Colombia on penalties; they're organized but not elite.
My read: Messi wins this at 0.52. He has the lead, he has the form, and Argentina's bracket path (Switzerland, then winner of England-Norway, then the Final) gives him maximum opportunity. Mbappé at 0.42 and Haaland at 0.45 are both live, but they're chasing.
The all-time World Cup goals record is also in play. Messi has 20 career. Haaland has 19. That's a separate race happening inside the same tournament. We're watching history stack on top of itself.