The 2026 World Cup has already begun breaking football records just 10 days in. Stars like Messi, Mbappe, Kane, and Haaland are set to continue this trend as they compete in the tournament.
Key points
2026 World Cup has rewritten football history
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo extend their legacies
Kylian Mbappe becomes France's all-time leading scorer
First World Cup with 48 teams
Major records are set to fall
Mentioned in this story
FIFA
Lionel MessiKylian MbappeHarry KaneErling Haaland
The 2026 World Cup may only be 10 days old but the tournament has already rewritten football history.
Not wanting to be outdone by the other, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland all came out of the blocks firing in their respective nations' opening fixtures.
And as the World Cup's biggest hitters prepare to make their second appearances at the first 48-team competition, records aplenty look ready to fall.
From Argentina's Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo extending their World Cup legacies to Mbappe becoming France's all-time leading scorer, BBC Sport takes a look at a list of the major records already broken or set to be.
Messi to set new World Cup goals record?
Lionel Messi clenching his fists in celebrationImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball for the best player at the 2022 World Cup
Since 2014, Germany striker Miroslav Klose stood on his own with 16 World Cup goals.
But Messi's stunning hat-trick in Argentina's opening 3-0 win over Algeria moved the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner level at the top of the all-time standings and poised to move out in front on his own.
Messi required 27 games - three more than Klose - to hit 16 but the 2022 World Cup winner will not mind.
Lurking close behind with 14 is France captain Mbappe, who is now the all-time leading scorer for France with 58, and could well have the goals record in his sights himself.
Kane is four further back - but surely it is too far for him this tournament?
Next up for Messi and Co. in Group J are Austria. Are we about to witness a new record?
Kane set to break Lineker's England record
Harry Kane celebrating for EnglandImage source, Getty Images
Q&A
What records have already been broken in the 2026 World Cup?
Several records have been broken, including Kylian Mbappe becoming France's all-time leading scorer.
Who are the top players expected to break records in the 2026 World Cup?
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, and Erling Haaland are among the top players expected to break records.
How many teams are participating in the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup features 48 teams, making it the largest tournament in history.
What legacy is Messi extending in the 2026 World Cup?
Lionel Messi is looking to extend his World Cup goals record as he competes in the tournament.
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Image caption,
Harry Kane has scored 81 goals in 115 games for England
After watching Messi, Haaland and Mbappe all hit the back of the net, Kane reminded the footballing world what he could do in England's 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday.
The Three Lions skipper netted twice in Dallas to move England top of Group L and draw level with Gary Lineker as their all-time leading scorer at World Cup finals on 10 goals.
With Ghana to come on Tuesday night, Kane might not be level with Lineker for long.
Wednesday's game also meant Kane became just the second England player - after Sir David Beckham in 1998, 2002 and 2006 - to score at three different World Cups.
The Croatia match also marked Kane's 115th England appearance, moving him level with Beckham among the country's most-capped players.
A first multiple Golden Boot winner?
Kylian Mbappe holding the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot trophyImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Kylian Mbappe won the World Cup with France in 2018
Sticking with Mbappe, is he going to become the first player to win multiple World Cup Golden Boots or will it be England skipper Kane?
Mbappe struck eight times to win the Golden Boot in Qatar in 2022 but faces fierce competition to retain the accolade.
Kane, also with records on his mind, won the prize in 2018 with six goals.
Messi, Germany's Denis Undav and Canada's Jonathan David currently lead the way on three but Kane, Haaland and Mbappe are just a goal adrift.
This could be a race for the ages.
Most World Cups scored in
Cristiano Ronaldo sprinting for PortugalImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Cristiano Ronaldo has 143 goals in 229 caps for Portugal
Ronaldo was bound to appear at some point.
It may have been a lacklustre performance from him in Portugal's shock 1-1 draw with DR Congo but a record is always around the corner.
In 2022, Ronaldo set the record for the most World Cups scored in at five - 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 - but Messi has already equalled that.
But a goal for Ronaldo at the 2026 edition will make it a record six for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Ronaldo becomes oldest outfield player
Cristiano Ronaldo in a red Portugal kitImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored eight times at the World Cup
But a record did fall for Ronaldo in the opening game.
Taking to the pitch in Houston, the Portuguese had joined Messi as the second man to play in six World Cup tournaments.
In doing so, he also became the oldest outfield player to start at the World Cup - aged 41 years and 132 days.
The record previously belonged to Canada's Atiba Hutchinson, at 39 years and 296 days when he started at the 2022 World Cup in a group match against Croatia.
Haaland to become Norway's leading World Cup scorer?
Erling Haaland celebrating for NorwayImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Erling Haaland made his World Cup debut in Norway's 4-1 win over Iraq
Where records are falling, Haaland is always close by.
The Norway striker needed just 20 touches to score twice in the 4-1 win over Iraq and become the first player to net a double for his nation at the World Cup.
Haaland only needed one game to become Norway's joint all-time leading scorer at the World Cup - levelling with Kjetil Rekdal.
He can move clear of Rekdal when taking on Senegal on Tuesday morning.
Vozinha among oldest stars in World Cup history
Vozinha holds up a Cape Verde flagImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Vozinha was left in tears at the end of Cape Verde's shock draw with Spain
Didier Deschamps has won the World Cup as a player and manager of France
France boss Didier Deschamps is one win away from equalling the record for most wins as a manager at the World Cup.
Former West Germany manager Helmut Schon is at the top of the all-time list with 16 victories, and a win for France over Iraq will move Deschamps level.
All being well for the Frenchman, he will set a new record of 17 in the final group game against Norway.
What a way to end your time as France manager that would be.
Most red cards at the World Cup
Mexico's Cesar Montes is shown a red cardImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
There was only one straight red card shown at the 2022 World Cup
The record for the most red cards at a World Cup stands at 28, in 2006.
In the 2026 competition, six redshave been brandished already.
Three red cards were shown in Mexico's opening-game win over South Africa, before Bosnia-Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic and Qatar duo Assim Omer Madibo and Homam el Amin soon followed.
This tally is more than the past two World Cups, where four red cards were shown in Qatar and Russia.
There is still a way to go for this record, but there is an awful lot of football to come.
