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The fight for the Golden Boot

The competition to be the top scorer in the World Cup reaches its final stretch. With only four games left, the fight is more open than ever.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé top the table with eight goals each. Behind them come Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, both from England, with six goals. Erling Haaland remained at seven after Norway’s elimination. Ousmane Dembélé has five and can still get closer.

To put it in perspective, only twice in the last thirteen editions has the scorer finished with eight goals: Ronaldo Nazario in Korea-Japan 2002 and Mbappé himself in Qatar 2022. Grzegorz Lato (1974) and Messi (2022) reached seven, but no one surpassed the barrier of eight.

In the history of the tournament, only five players have scored nine or more goals: Ademir Marques (9), Sándor Kocsis (11), Just Fontaine (13), Eusébio (9) and Gerd Müller (10).

Messi and Mbappé are one goal away from equaling that mark. They have at least two games left to play. They could make history in this same World Cup.

Hero’s welcome in Oslo

Some 90,000 people gathered in Oslo to welcome the Norwegian team after its performance in the 2026 World Cup. The team lost in the quarterfinals to England 2-1 in overtime, but the achievement of reaching that stage was historic for the country.

The square in front of the Royal Palace was the epicenter of the well-known “Viking Row”, the celebration where fans simulate rowing to the rhythm of a drum. Crown Prince Haakon led the celebration by playing the drum in front of the crowd.

“It’s just incredible to see all the support we receive and how the whole country stands behind us. So much joy, smiles and good humour. It’s really fantastic,” captain Martin Odegaard told radio station NRK.

Tour to the Palace

The players arrived by bus from the airport to the Royal Palace. Along the way, fans dressed in team jerseys waved flags. Striker Erling Haaland, scorer of seven goals in the tournament, attended the reception hosted by King Harald, but did not join the street party. When he got off the plane, he carried a stuffed raccoon with a bottle of whiskey.

Torino defender Marcus Pedersen wrote on Instagram: “As a child, I dreamed of playing in a World Cup. This summer I had the opportunity to make that dream come true. Thank you to everyone who supported me.”

Eco in MotoGP

The Norwegian celebration was imitated by the Spanish rider Marc Márquez after winning the German MotoGP Grand Prix. He ordered a drum and placed it in front of his Ducati equipment to emulate “Viking Row.” The celebration ended with hugs and toasts. With that victory, Márquez climbed to third place in the 2026 season.

Unilateral decision in the 2026 World Cup

American forward Folarin Balogun was sent off during his team’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup. However, he was able to play in the round of 16 against Belgium. The reason? A decision by the president of the FIFA disciplinary court, taken without consulting the rest of the body.

The newspaper The Times revealed that Mohammad Al Kamali, president of the court, alone authorized Balogun’s participation. He ignored the other 17 committee members. The match against Belgium ended with a rout against the United States (4-1), but the fact generated criticism.

Trump’s call

US President Donald Trump intervened. As he later confirmed, he called Gianni Infantino, head of FIFA, to express his disagreement with the red card. Infantino admitted the conversation, but defended the independence of the court. He assured that the decision was autonomous and that he did not interfere.

The controversy shakes the governing body of football. Accusations of favoritism and lack of transparency surround the case. FIFA has not issued an official statement beyond what Infantino said.