The opening round of the World Cup group stage has concluded, and the Golden Boot race is already intensifying.
Lionel Messi's hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria has placed the 38-year-old captain atop the scoring charts.
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Messi leads a pack of former winners including Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane, as well as Norway's Erling Haaland and the United States' Folarin Balogun.
Historical data shows the average Golden Boot winner over the past six tournaments has scored 6.3 goals—a threshold Messi has nearly reached in just one match.
Portugal's Tactical Struggles
While Argentina celebrated stability, Portugal labored to a 1-1 draw against DR Congo despite an early goal from Joao Neves.
The Portuguese squad, featuring stars like Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, faced criticism for focusing play too heavily on 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Former French striker Thierry Henry commented on Fox News: "The team needs to score, not you need to score."
The draw echoed Portugal's exit at the Euros two summers ago, where they failed to progress after a goalless quarterfinal.
Other Matchday Seven Highlights
England secured a 4-2 victory over Croatia, drawing praise from European media. German tabloid Bild called it "the best game of the World Cup," adding, "What a spectacle!
What a festival!"
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In other matches, Ghana snatched a late win against Panama, tournament debutants Uzbekistan fell 3-1 to Colombia, and Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi reportedly played despite a recent arrest on suspicion of fixing offences.
