A few long lasting ones FIFA World Cup records are under threat just 10 days after the 2026 tournament, and some of football’s biggest names are already rewriting the history books.
The expanded 48-team competition has produced a number of outstanding performances, with players including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland making strong starts as they chase major individual milestones.
Messi is closing in on his all-time goalscoring record
Argentina captain Lionel Messi equaled former Germany striker Miroslav Klose as the leading goalscorer in World Cup history after scoring a hat-trick in his country’s 3-0 win over Algeria.
The 38-year-old now has 16 World Cup goals, equaling Klose’s long-standing record. With the group stage games yet to come, Messi is expected to become the top scorer of the tournament.
French striker Kylian Mbappe is also on the rise. The Real Madrid star already has 14 World Cup goals and recently became France’s all-time top scorer with 58 international goals.
England captain Harry Kane also remains in contention after scoring 10 World Cup goals against Croatia.
Ronaldo, Haaland are chasing new landmarks
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo continues to set longevity records despite not scoring in a 1-1 draw with DR Congo.
The 41-year-old became only the second player, along with Messi, to appear in six World Cups. A goal in the tournament would also make him the first player to score in six different editions of the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Norway forward Erling Haaland marked his World Cup debut with two goals in a 4-1 win against Iraq.
The Manchester City striker became Norway’s joint top scorer at the World Cup finals and needs one more goal to claim the record outright.
Elsewhere, Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinho entered the record books after helping his nation to a goalless draw against Spain.
At 40 years and 12 days, he became the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on his World Cup debut.
France coach Didier Deschamps is also approaching history. Another win would tie the record for most World Cup wins by a coach, currently held by former West Germany coach Helmut Schön with 16.
With the knockout stages still a few weeks away, several of football’s most famous records could soon have new owners.
