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World Cup 2026: Messi, Mbappe, Haaland & Kane in Golden Boot race for the ages – who will win?

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Records have been falling from day one for the game’s most feared forwards.

Messi now leading the all-time World Cup list has taken a lot of the headlines, and rightly so.

But he isn’t the only one who has been setting records this tournament.

Mbappe now tops France’s goalscoring charts, Haaland is Norway’s leading World Cup scorer – after just two games – while Kane has equalled Gary Lineker’s World Cup record for England.

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And all of them will have their sights set on France’s Just Fontaine’s 1958 record of 13 goals scored in one tournament.

Only three players – Fontaine, Gerd Muller for Germany in 1970 and Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis in 1954 – have ever hit double figures at a single World Cup.

It would not be a surprise if that select list has grown by the end of this tournament.

The new 48-team format certainly looks to have increased the potential for goals. With more lower-ranked teams, the world’s best attackers have prospered.

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The World Cup winners will also have to play one more round than ever before – again increasing the chance for goals.

Former France defender Gael Clichy told BBC Sport: “Kylian Mbappe is part of the generation which [has] that fearless factor.

“I remember when I started you had to give respect to the older generation when you came in, and you were not trying to do a nutmeg to the old men.

“This generation, they have respect, but differently. Don’t talk about age, talk about performance.”

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So, back to the small matter of the race for the Golden Boot.

“It’s not something I’m thinking about right now,” said Mbappe. “Leo always scores. He always has and always will.

“If I start watching him, I’ll feel like I have to do even more, so no, I don’t watch what he’s doing. I’m only thinking about helping my team – by helping the team, I score goals and get closer to that kind of level.”

Norway boss Stale Solbakken has, perhaps unsurprisingly, pushed Haaland’s cause.

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“He is the best striker – he is not playing for France or Argentina, he scores for Norway. He’s scored four goals now, two braces on the biggest stage,” he said.

“It’s easier to win the Golden Boot when you play for France and Argentina, but we’ll try to give Erling more games, and more help also in the next games. So he’s on fire and I’m very happy for him that he can score on the biggest stage.”

USA striker Folarin Balogun has made a decent enough start to the tournament himself, with two goals in his first two games.

But he probably summed it up the best, when he joked: “I think it’s annoying. Seeing players like Messi, Mbappe, Haaland – they’re so inevitable. I think they’re scoring a goal a game, sometimes more.

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“For me, it’s just about trying to get to that level – to be inevitable as well.”

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Reports: Wolves deal Julius Randle to Nets in 3-team trade

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May 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) in the first half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn ImagesMay 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) in the first half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets reportedly added former All-Star forward Julius Randle and moved up five spots in the first round of the draft in a three-team trade involving the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls on Monday, the night before the draft.

According to multiple media outlets, Minnesota dealt Randle and the 28th overall pick in the Tuesday draft to the Nets for the 33rd overall selection.

Brooklyn sent center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, who in turn shipped forward Mouhamadou Gueye to Minnesota. The Timberwolves reportedly will waive Gueye.

Randle, 31, is due to make $33.3 million in the upcoming season, and he has a player option for $35.8 million for 2027-28.

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The three-time All-Star averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season. In a 12-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers (2014-15 to 2017-18), the New Orleans Pelicans (2018-19), the New York Knicks (2019-20 to 2023-24) and Minnesota (2024-25 to 2025-26), he has averaged 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Randle was selected the NBA’s most improved player in 2020-21.

Claxton, 27, has spent each of his seven NBA seasons in Brooklyn. He put up 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest in 69 games (68 starts) last season. His career norms are 10.6, 7.6 and 2.1, respectively.

He is signed for $23.3 million in 2026-27 and $21.1 million in 2027-28.

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Gueye, 27, made his NBA debut in 2023-24 for the Toronto Raptors, appearing in 11 games off the bench. He got into two games as a reserve for Chicago last season. Overall, he has averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12.7 minutes.

–Field Level Media

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Grahame Begg’s Biologics decision hinges on Caulfield track conditions in 2024

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Two jockeys race side by side on galloping horses, wearing blue and red-and-white silks, with green saddlecloths on a sunny turf track.

Trainer Grahame Begg took valuable information from Biologics’ last start, even though the three-year-old filly finished second-last, nearly ten lengths adrift of the winner.

The run at Flemington proved to the Cranbourne-based trainer that the daughter of I Am Invincible struggles on Heavy tracks.

Pinecliff Racing’s filly came through the 1200-metre race on June 6, her first on a surface rated worse than Good, without any issues. Begg has entered her for Saturday’s 1200m 3YO fillies handicap at Caulfield, but her acceptance is dependent on the weather.

“She was going really well into the race and we thought she’d run really well, but the unknown was the ground,” Begg stated.

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“Obviously they got rain on the day of the race and it deteriorated and she just wasn’t comfortable at all.”

“She’s nominated, so we’ll see what happens and what the week brings.”

The Caulfield track was recorded as a Soft 7 on Monday. However, with minimal rainfall predicted for Melbourne this week, conditions are expected to improve significantly by raceday.

Biologics would be third-up if she contests the race. Her previous start at Flemington was preceded by a dominant first-up victory over 1100m in a fillies and mares benchmark 62 grade at Werribee.

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Prior to that, she had contested a couple of unplaced runs in Stakes company against her own sex last spring, with her sole other start being a maiden win at Pakenham.

Although Begg has not yet committed Biologics to a start, another of his mares, Takeko, is slated to race.

The lightly-raced five-year-old mare will aim to improve her impressive first-up statistics in the $150,000 fillies and mares BM84 over 1100 metres.

Her first-up record shows two wins and a second from three attempts. The daughter of Saxon Warrior indicated potential for another strong fresh run with a second place in a recent Pakenham jumpout.

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Luke Cartwright, a jockey claiming 1.5kg, guided Takeko during the jumpout and will be on board for Saturday’s race. Begg expressed enthusiasm for the mare’s return to racing, her first since winning at Moonee Valley on August 9.

“She’s a progressive mare, she’s coming off a bit of a layoff but she’s going well and she’ll come in very well at the weights after the claim,” Begg said.

The betting markets for Takeko’s return are shaping up. Consider exploring the available racing odds on Australian betting sites.

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Oba Femi Set To Team Up With 6-Time WWE World Champion For The First Time

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Oba Femi is set to team up with former multi-time WWE World Champion Seth Rollins for the first time. The duo will face The Vision on SmackDown after a thrilling face-off on Monday.

Rollins once again made life miserable for The Vision after costing them the WWE World Tag Team Championships in the main event of RAW. His interference led to The Street Profits dethroning Bron Breakker and Austin Theory. After the cameras stopped rolling on RAW, Femi saved Rollins from The Vision.

WWE has announced a huge tag team match for SmackDown. Femi will team up with Rollins to face the now-former World Tag Team Champions in London.

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Here’s WWE’s official announcement:

Bron Breakker made a huge claim about Seth Rollins before WWE Backlash

Bron Breakker and Seth Rollins are set to collide in a Steel Cage Match at the Night of Champions Premium Live Event. This will mark the trilogy between the former Vision stablemates.

Breakker made a huge claim about Rollins before their match at the Backlash Premium Live Event, stating that The Visionary should leave the business, questioning his passion.

“Stuff that goes through my head when I’m working out is my goals. Where I want to be in a year from now, two years from now, next Saturday. On my mind, on repeat. He’s [Seth Rollins] is probably on his bus right now, having his first coffee cup of the day. Just waking up his sorry a** out of bed. You don’t want this sh*t as bad as I want it anymore. He don’t want this like I want this. He doesn’t need this anymore. He’s got all the money in the world, he’s got all the fame. He’s got everything he ever could have dreamed of to get out of this business. He’s already done it all. I need this match. I need to beat him. It’s the only way, it’s the only way that Bron Breakker and The Vision and my brand and Paul Heyman can move forward in here. If we win, it’s on me.”

Oba Femi will also be in action at Night of Champions. He will face Jey Uso in the final of the King of the Ring Tournament.

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