Argentina captain Lionel Messi has moved to the top of the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot standings after scoring his sixth goal of the tournament in his side’s 3-1 victory over Jordan on Sunday.
Messi, who started the match on the bench, made an instant impact after coming on as a second-half substitute, curling home a spectacular free-kick in the 80th minute to seal Argentina’s win and strengthen his grip on the race for the tournament’s top scorer award.
The goal takes the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner to six goals, putting him two clear of his closest challengers in the Golden Boot standings.
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France forward Kylian Mbappe, Norway striker Erling Haaland and Brazil star Vinicius Junior are all tied in second place with four goals each as the race for the prestigious individual honour intensifies.
Messi’s latest strike further underlined his importance to the reigning world champions, who continued their impressive run in the tournament with another commanding performance.
With the knockout stages approaching, the Argentine captain will be aiming to extend his lead in the Golden Boot race while guiding his country in pursuit of another FIFA World Cup title.