Messi, Mbappé, Vinícius Jr., Haaland all beaten as FIFA unveils unexpected World Cup's best attacker

Lionel Messi may be leading the Golden Boot race, but Germany's Deniz Undav has emerged as FIFA's highest-rated attacking player after the 2026 World Cup group stage. The substitute striker edged Messi in FIFA's official performance rankings through extraordinary efficiency off the bench, while stars including Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Erling Haaland also featured among the tournament's top-rated performers.