In the biggest edition of the World Cup yet, we’ve already seen more goals than ever before — and we’ve already witnessed some bangers and golazos in just group play.
Lionel Messi continued to do what he does best and make history, but several other superstars have already shown out, too. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland already have multiple braces, while Ousmane Dembélé scored a hat trick in France’s final match of group play.
But which goals have been the best so far in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? We are here to let you know which goals are the best of the best.
1. Cabral Keeps Cape Verde’s Upset Bid vs. Argentina Alive
There are golazos, and then there are golazos that nearly transcend sports.
As Cape Verde needed another goal to level its round-of-32 match against Argentina, Sidny Lopes Cabral delivered a goal that will be remembered by soccer fans for quite possibly the history of time. In the 103rd minute, Cabral went end-to-end and scored a top-bins goal from the edge of the opposite side of the box.
Cabral’s goal tied the match, but Argentina took the lead in the second extra time and wound up defeating Cape Verde. Still, Cabral’s goal should stand the test of time, as the goal nearly set up one of the greatest upsets in the history of the World Cup.
2. Nusa’s Curler Stuns Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast vs. Norway was one of the best matchups of the round of 32 for diehard soccer fans, and the opening goal was worthy of that.
Martin Ødegaard played the ball to Antonio Nusa on the left wing, and the RB Leipzig playmaker went at two defenders before cutting in on his right foot and delivering a beautiful finish just inside the far post. It was the kind of goal that we haven’t seen yet in the tournament that ignited the game.
3. Diallo’s Amazing Control Equalizes
Amad Diallo has thrived so far in the World Cup, scoring a pair of big goals off the bench for the Ivory Coast. His second was one of the best of the tournament.
The Manchester United winger played a clever one-two with Nicolas Pépé that saw him charging toward Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. Diallo delivered a clever touch to get the ball back on his left foot before chipping the ball into the far corner. It was a huge goal for the Ivory Coast, but ultimately one that could not impact the result.
4. Messi Stuns K.C. With Amazing Finish
On a night when Lionel Messi scored an astonishing three goals (his first-ever World Cup hat trick), the first one stood out the most.
Algeria gave Messi too much space in the middle of the field, and he made them pay. Argentina’s captain and superstar delivered a magical goal to open his account at the 2026 World Cup.
Messi picked up the ball in midfield and was able to turn toward the goal. He dribbled forward, put the ball on his left foot and put the ball in the top corner. It was a moment of magic from Messi, who had a goal ruled out for offside in the early minutes of the game.
Two more goals ensued, but this set up what would be an unforgettable night in Kansas City.
5. Mbappé Makes France History In Style
After tying the record for most goals in the history of France’s men’s team, Kylian Mbappé set the new mark in style.
Mbappé picked up possession after Michael Olise was fouled, but the referee played the advantage. From there, he unleashed a laser past Senegal keeper Édouard Mendy for a record-setting goal. It also put a ribbon on France’s win over a quality Senegal team.
6. Ayari’s Laser Gives Sweden A Lead
Sweden got on the board in the seventh minute in its World Cup opener through midfielder Yasin Ayari, who hammered home a shot from just outside the top of the 18-yard box. His first of two goals against Tunisia was a knuckleball that barely moved through the air. It went around the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
7. Mbappé Dazzles Against Sweden
Viktor Gyokeres found himself in a one-on-one situation inside the box against Mbappé, who delivered a stepover and then finished off a solo effort that gave France a lead over Sweden. It was another impressive goal for the French captain, who is keeping up with Messi in the race for most goals in World Cup history.
8. Folarin Balogun Goes Top Bin vs. Paraguay
Balogun’s coming-out party was on June 12 at Los Angeles Stadium against Paraguay, and his second goal of the game for the USA was the cherry on top.
The AS Monaco striker delivered a dominant first-half performance, imposing his will on Paraguay’s defense. He had already scored when midfielder Malik Tillman put him through on goal. He fought off one defender, dribbled past another and then used his weaker left foot to place a shot perfectly in the top corner.
9. Kane’s Stunner Beats DR Congo
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. When England needed a goal, its captain and all-time-leading goalscorer stepped up.
Anthony Gordon played the ball to Kane, who was not in a scoring position near the top of the 18-yard box when he gained possession. From there, he dribbled right, created space and unleashed a vicious strike that beat DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.
10. Tillman Scores On Fabulous Free Kick
The USA was in danger of potentially losing its 1-0 lead to Bosnia and Herzegovina in its round of 32 match, until Malik Tillman stepped up with one of the goals of the tournament.
Over 10 minutes after Folarin Balogun was sent off due to a red card, Tillman gave the USA a much-needed goal when he scored on a free kick from outside the box. Not only did Tillman get enough air and bend on the shot to get it past the wall, but he also somehow snuck close enough between the Bosnia and Herzegovina goalkeeper and the post to get it into the net as the USA took a 2-0 lead.
11. Haiti’s Isidor Scores On Absolute Screamer
Haiti was only playing for pride against Morocco, but that doesn’t mean its goals should count for less. Wilson Isidor scored one of the top goals of group play when his strike from outside the box somehow found the back of the net, perfectly shooting for the top left corner of the net to give Haiti a 2-1 lead over Morocco at the time.
12. Dembélé On The Dot
It only took Ousmane Dembélé 20 minutes to record a brace in France’s win over Norway, with his left-footed shot from outside the box finding the net. It was the type of goal that showed the PSG star’s previous woes at the international level might be behind him, as he buried a pretty impressive shot en route to a hat trick.
13. Shomurodov Chips Away For A Goal
Eldor Shomurodov found an ambitious way to score in the 10th minute of Uzbekistan’s match against DR Congo. He was able to get the ball in the box after a good run, getting his left foot on it and somehow elevating it over the pursuing defender. The ball hung in the air for a couple of seconds as well, getting over the outstretched reach of the DR Congo goalie to give his side a 1-0 lead.
14. Muñoz Delivers Acrobatic Finish
Colombia dominated Uzbekistan for 39 minutes, but it needed a moment of brilliance to finally break through against a stingy defense.
Colombian star Luis Díaz played a great lofted pass down the field as right back Daniel Muñoz made a run into the Uzbekistan box. Muñoz, who plays for Crystal Palace, only needed one touch to use the momentum of the pass to carry it past Uzbekistan goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov.
15. Elanga’s Banger Keeps Sweden Alive
Sweden was down 1-0 to Japan, a result that would have left its fate uncertain for the knockout rounds.
Enter, Anthony Elanga. The Sweden winger picked up the ball on the right wing and curled a beauty into the far post with his weaker foot. It was a potentially massive goal.
16. Sano Sends It In To Give Japan Lead vs. Brazil
Japan wasn’t able to upset Brazil in the round of 32, but it gave it a good scare thanks to Kaishū Sano. In the 29th minute, Sano worked his way though Brazil’s defense before firing off his strike as he was falling down from outside the box. The goal gave Japan a 1-0 lead, which it held for a good portion of the match.
17. Bosnian Banger From Alajbegovic
Kerim Alajbegovic stepped up when his country needed him against Qatar on Match Day 3.
The 18-year-old attacker, who plays his club soccer for RB Salzburg in Austria, picked up a pass from midfielder Ivan Basic. He dribbled around one Qatar defender and then unleashed an impressive strike from 25 yards out that beat goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada.
18. Gio Reyna Caps Win With Trivela
The exclamation point at the end of the United States’ win over Paraguay came from Reyna, who put his impressive technique on display in the final minute of the match.
Reyna, a source of controversy at the 2022 World Cup, came on in the 82nd minute for Tillman. The USA was keeping the ball while seeing out the win over Paraguay when the ball moved up the field down the right wing. Alex Freeman gave the ball to Reyna for what was the 26th pass of the attack, and Gio hammered it home with the outside of his right foot.
19. Quiñones Ignites Mexico vs. Ecuador
Julián Quiñones timed his run perfectly to get on the end of Roberto Alvarado’s pass. He got inside the 18-yard box, cut in with the ball on his right foot, and he unleashed a screamer into the top corner of the near post. It sent Mexico City Stadium into a frenzy.
20. Lo Celso’s Free-Kick Golazo
No Lionel Messi? No problem. Giovani Lo Celso buried the free kick outside the box in the first half of Argentina’s match against Jordan as Messi watched from the bench.
21. Taking It Off The Corner Flag And Scoring
Rafik Belghali had one of the goals of the tournament when he won a ball off the corner flag before weaving through the Austrian defense and firing a banger that helped Algeria level its match against Austria.
22. Nmecha Combines With Wirtz For Brilliant Goal
The Germans opened their account quickly against Curaçao, to the surprise of no one. One of the best teams in the field facing the smallest country in the tournament was always going to be a mismatch, and it only took Germany six minutes to take the lead.
Midfielder Felix Nmecha picked up the ball just outside the 18-yard box on the left side of the field. He played a pass to star Florian Wirtz — among the top-25 players in our ranking of the World Cup’s 100 best — who pushed a slick pass back to Nmecha. The Borussia Dortmund man finished a clever one-two with a beautiful curling finish.
23. Hwang Equalizes In Style
South Korea controlled its opening match against Czechia but found itself behind in the second half after the Czechs took a first-half lead.
Hwang In-beom was all over the pitch in this match, but his equalizing goal truly stood out. He was played into the 18-yard box by PSG midfielder Kang-In Lee, then he stopped on a dime, put the ball on his right foot and chipped Czechia goalkeeper Matěj Kovář. It was a brilliant goal that the Koreans needed badly.
24. Mbappé Unleashes Left-Footed Golazo
Earlier on Monday, June 22, Lionel Messi scored twice to get to 18 World Cup goals, the most ever. It took Kylian Mbappé hours to respond.
Michael Olise teed up the France captain on the right wing, and Mbappé put the ball on his weaker foot and hit it brilliantly into the back of the net. It was Mbappé’s 15th World Cup goal, which signals he will not stop chasing Messi and maybe take over his lead one day.
25. A Poignant Goal For Canada
Canada’s fourth goal in its 6-0 win over Qatar proved to be emotional for all gathered in Vancouver as it occurred mere moments after Ismael Kone was carted off the field with a serious leg injury.
Nathan Saliba, who came on for Canada for Kone, took a bending free kick that landed just inside the woodwork past the Qatar keeper.
Instead of a usual celebration, Saliba held up the jersey of his teammate in what will be a lasting image of Canada’s World Cup run.
26. Dembélé Hesitates And Scores vs. Norway
Ousmane Dembélé’s first goal of his hat trick against Norway was also pretty impressive. The France star junked out a Norwegian defender along the edge of the box before firing a shot to give his team an early 1-0 lead.
27. Papa Gueye With An Absolute Banger
Gueye subbed on in the second half of Senegal’s win over Iraq and scored one of the top goals of the group stage just minutes later. He scored on an impressive strike from outside the box, finding the top shelf as he perfectly bended the ball for a goal.
28. Vinícius Júnior Delivers Golazo vs. Morocco
The Real Madrid star came into this tournament knowing he needed to be at his best for Brazil. After Morocco took a first-half lead, he stepped up.
Vini Jr. picked up the ball near the touchline after a pass from midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. He cut inside onto his preferred right foot and nearly put the ball through the net with his finish.
29. Dembélé Completes Hat Trick vs. Norway
Congrats, Ousmane Dembélé. Not only did you score a hat trick in France’s win over Norway, but all three goals also received pretty high placement on this list. His hat trick came in the first half, making it all the more impressive.
30. Jiménez Doubles Mexico’s Lead
Raúl Jiménez, Mexico’s leader in attack, picked up the ball at the top of the 18-yard box and unleashed a fantastic strike into the top corner. It doubled Mexico’s lead in impressive fashion, and the scoreline held for the host nation to advance.
31. What A Volley! Mahmić Buries Debut Goal
Ermin Mahmić wasted no time making his presence felt for Bosnia and Herzegovina, even with his team down a player and down multiple goals.
Moments after coming into the game, the substitute slammed a volley past Swiss keeper Gregor Kobel, who had punched the ball right into Mahmić’s wheelhouse. Even in Bosnia’s eventual loss, this was one of the game’s best moments.
32. Ashour’s Thunderous Strike Puts Egypt Ahead
Egypt entered its first game of the tournament against Belgium as a big underdog, but it got off to an early lead through a fantastic strike from Emam Ashour.
Ashour, who plays for Al Ahly SC in Egypt, got a pass from birthday boy and Egypt captain Mohamed Salah about 25 yards from goal. Then, he unleashed a powerful strike that went past world-class goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
33. Baturina Equalizes In Style vs. England
After falling behind because of a Harry Kane penalty, Croatia grew into its matchup against England very well and was rewarded. A long ball was played forward to Petar Sucic, who laid the ball off to Martin Baturina.
Baturina delivered a great strike that England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could only get a hand to.
34. Cape Verde’s First-Ever World Cup Goal
Uruguay conceded a free kick at least 30 yards from goal, and it didn’t seem like Kevin Pina was going to take aim at goal from that distance. Instead, Uruguay only put two players in the wall, which separated and let Pina’s shot go straight through into the back of the net.
It was a shocking moment in Miami but a brilliant hit from Pina.
35. A Promising Goal For Canada
Canada fell a goal short of forcing a draw against Switzerland to win Group B, but Promise David’s goal in the second half of that match nearly helped Les Rouges win the group. He was able to get his foot out and connected on a difficult cross for a Canadian goal.
36. Jordan Shocks Austria With Fantastic Goal
Austria midfielder Xavier Schlager lost the ball in midfield, and Jordan immediately began a counterattack. Noor Al-Rawabdeh fed winger Ali Iyad Olwan on the left wing, and he dribbled the ball 50 yards into the 18-yard box before curling a fantastic goal into the far post.
It was a fantastic way for Jordan to score its first-ever World Cup goal.
37. Saibari Runs Through Brazil’s Defense
Morocco delivered a brilliant goal to open the scoring in its star-studded matchup with Brazil.
Real Madrid playmaker Brahim Diaz picked the ball up and found Ismael Saibari in between Brazil center backs Gabriel and Marquinhos, two of the best defenders in world soccer. With his first touch, the Moroccan striker lifted the ball over Alisson, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, for a brilliantly executed opening goal.
38. Messi. Hat Trick. Greatness.
The goal is quintessential Messi – collecting at the top of the box, a quick shift to the left and letting it rip – but its significance is what stands out.
Messi doesn’t have many more “firsts” in him, but this goal gave him three on the night for his first hat trick at the World Cup. With 16 goals in his sixth appearance at the tournament, he tied Germany legend Miroslav Klose for the most ever scored at the men’s World Cup.
39. Austria Heads Into The Knockout Stage
Austria got a goal at the buzzer to level its match against Algeria, scoring a much-needed goal to help it advance. The score was a result of two headers, with Sasa Kalajdzic getting the goal for Austria.
40. Nakamura Equalizes Against The Dutch
Down 1-0 after Virgil van Dijk gave the Netherlands a lead, Keito Nakamura stepped up with a massive goal for Japan.
And what a hit it was. Nakamura picked up the ball just inside the 18-yard box, got it under control and then unleashed an impressive right-footed hit to beat Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The most impressive part was that Nakamura’s momentum was going away from goal when he struck the ball.
41. Messi Makes World Cup History
After missing a penalty in the ninth minute against Austria, it looked like it might not be Messi’s day. He only needed one goal to pass Miroslav Klose and become the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Instead, about 30 minutes later, he delivered a classic Messi goal. Facundo Medina was on the left wing and played a low cross near the penalty box. Messi was right there, ready to pounce, and unleashed a fantastic left-footed shot that beat Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
42. Maeda Finishes Brilliant Team Move
Ritsu Doan played a one-two in midfield and then found Daizen Maeda through on goal. It was a wonderful team move that saw Japan take a lead against Sweden.
43. Ayari Scores His Second Banger vs. Tunisia
Yasin Ayari, have a day. The Brighton midfielder and Swedish national star delivered two goals, the second of which got commentator Maurice Edu to proclaim, “Bangers only.”
Ayari could have represented Tunisia internationally, as his father is from the country. What an occasion for him to score twice.
44. Ueda Delivers Banger Against Tunisia
Tunisia didn’t stand much of a chance on Saturday night against Japan, especially if Ayase Ueda is going to score goals like he did.
Ueda delivered a cracker from outside the box that gave Tunisian goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen no chance.
45. Ndiaye Adds To Senegal’s Lead
Iliman Ndiaye knew Senegal needed style points in its win over Iraq, and he gave his side a fifth goal in style.
46. Manzambi Buries Close-Range Volley
Coming on as a second-half sub for Switzerland, Johan Manzambi broke open what felt like a stalemate with a brilliant finish.
Swiss midfielder Rubén Vargas looped the ball across the net that a Bosnian defender attempted to clear out via a header. Instead, the ball falls right in front of Manzambi, who twists his body past his marker and slams it past an outstretched Nikola Vasilj.
47. Cunha Goes Off-Balance To Bag A Brace
Cunha’s second goal against Haiti once again set up Vinícius Júnior, this time on a counter-attack. The Real Madrid star sprinted down the pitch with the ball at his feet to then slide a pass to the Manchester United playmaker, who initially took a wide touch. But Cunha found the narrow angle and slammed it into the roof of the net as he tumbled onto the pitch.
48. Summerville Finishes Great Run With Curling Finish
Cyrienco Summerville is likely on the move this summer after West Ham United were relegated from the Premier League. His price tag will have gone up after his goal against Japan.
Ryan Gravenberch found Summerville on the right wing, and he cut in on his weaker left foot and unleashed a curling effort that beat Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. It was a fantastic effort that gave the Netherlands a lead that wouldn’t last.
49. Elanga Clips It Home For Sweden
Down four goals to the Netherlands, at least Anthony Elanga gave Sweden a brief lifeline. Alexander Isak slipped a wonderful throughball into Elanga from the halfway line. The Newcastle United playmaker raced down the pitch and finished it off with shot past Dutch keeper Bart Verbruggen.
50. Schmid Drills Austria Into Lead
Austria took an impressive lead against Jordan in its first match after a wonderful strike from Romano Schmid.
Austria kept possession impressively before midfielder Xavier Schlager teed up Schmid from just inside 25 yards out. He delivered a wonderful strike into the top corner, which gave Jordan goalkeeper Yazeed Yazeed Abulaila no chance.
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