Erling Haaland's bid for the World Cup Golden Boot is over after Norway fell to England 2-1 in extra time in Saturday's quarterfinal in Miami, while Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe remain locked in a tight battle for the top scorer prize.
Haaland, who entered the match with seven goals and sat third in the Golden Boot standings, didn't add to his tally. Norway briefly thought they'd taken the lead in the second half, but the goal was overturned on review after Haaland was found to have pushed an England player before the corner kick that led to it. The match went to extra time level at 1-1, where Jude Bellingham pounced on a rebound off Norway's goalkeeper to net the winner - his sixth goal of the tournament.
The result locks Haaland's Golden Boot total at seven goals, ending Norway's historic run in their first World Cup appearance since 1998. It also pulls Bellingham into the race for the top scorer prize, now tied with Harry Kane at six goals each, with both players still alive as England advances to the semifinals.
Atop the standings, Messi and Mbappe remain tied at eight goals apiece. Should the two finish level when the tournament ends, FIFA's tiebreaker rules currently favor Mbappe on assists, three to Messi's one.
With the semifinals and final still ahead, the race for the adidas Golden Boot remains wide open. The winner will be officially confirmed after the World Cup Final on July 19, 2026.
Norway's fairy-tale run may be over, but Haaland leaves the tournament with his head held high - a reminder that in football, as in faith, some of the most meaningful runs aren't measured by the final trophy, but by how far belief carried a team no one expected to get this far.
