2026 World Cup: Messi Tops Scoring Chart, Sweden Leads Third-Place Rankings

Second Round of Group Stage Results for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

According to Главком: With the second round of group-stage matches now complete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Sweden currently holds the best record among third-placed teams ahead of the final matchday. The Swedish squad sits on 3 points in Group F after a commanding 5–1 victory over Tunisia, though a 5–1 loss to the Netherlands leaves them with a goal difference of zero. They will face Japan in their next fixture.

A total of eight third-place finishers from the twelve groups will advance to the Round of 16. Besides Sweden, three other teams currently occupy third place in their respective groups with 3 points each:

• Scotland
• Croatia
• Paraguay
• Algeria

Scotland earned its three points by defeating Haiti 1–0, following a 1–0 loss to Morocco. Their final group match will be against Brazil. Cape Verde and Belgium each have 2 points, while the Czech Republic, DR Congo, Ecuador, and Bosnia and Herzegovina sit on 1 point apiece. Senegal, with 0 points after defeats to France (1–3) and Norway (2–3), are at the bottom of their group.

Knockout Stage Qualifiers and Tournament Top Scorers

So far, seven teams have secured their places in the knockout phase: Mexico, the United States, Germany, Argentina, France, Norway, and Colombia. The top two teams from each group after three matches will advance to the playoffs.

Lionel Messi, captain of Argentina, leads the tournament's scoring charts with five goals in two appearances. He netted a hat-trick against Algeria (3–0) and a brace versus Austria (2–0). Messi also became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, now with 18 goals across all editions. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland share joint second place with four goals each, both scoring braces in matches against Senegal and Iraq respectively. Germany's Deniz Undav and Canada's Jonathan David have each scored three goals in the 2026 World Cup, while 20 players-including Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo-have netted twice.

The conclusion of the second group-stage round reveals intense competition for playoff berths. Teams currently on 3 points still have a fighting chance, but their fate will be decided in the final matches. Lionel Messi's dominance in the scoring race underscores his pivotal role for Argentina, which could significantly boost their prospects in the tournament's later stages.

As the tournament progresses, Argentina's impressive performance has solidified their position in the knockout stage, largely thanks to the remarkable contributions from Messi. To understand how his recent double has impacted Argentina's journey, you can read more about their successful path to the playoffs in our detailed coverage here.