The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, is the biggest yet. The 48-team tournament, comprising 104 games, kicks off Thursday and anticipation is growing. But, it has been a contentious build-up.

Argentina-France needed 30 extra minutes of soccer and a best-of-5 penalty kick shootout at Lusail Stadium on Dec. 18, 2022. The match ended up being one of the most memorable soccer matches ever and the most watched, with 1.5 billion people worldwide tuning in to see Lionel Messi claim his first-ever World Cup title.

The Argentine and the Frenchman will battle to seal their names in the memory of the tournament's goalscoring records

Some of the most prolific goal-scorers in world soccer history will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have 25 World Cup goals between them. Both superstars have Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals within their sights.

World Cup 2026 Golden Boot odds: Kylian Mbappe up against Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi - The game’s greatest goalscorers line up for tournament’s top individual honour

India, June 9 -- FIFA World Cup 2026, 3 Days To Go: The Golden Ball goes to the finest player in the FIFA World Cup who has made a significant impact on the tournament, not necessarily the top scorer.