India, June 23 -- For a career that defies description, Lionel Messi has won almost everything football has to offer. Two World Cup Golden Balls. Eight Ballon d'Or awards. Countless club and international trophies. And, of course, the FIFA World Cup itself, which he finally lifted in Qatar in 2022. Yet, surprisingly, one prize still remains absent from his cabinet: the World Cup Golden Boot. At 38, and playing what is almost certainly his final World Cup, Messi is making a compelling case to finally claim it.

Five goals in two games. A hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's opener. A brace against Austria that not only took him past Miroslav Klose's long-standing men's World Cup scoring record, but also beyond Marta's tally, making Mes...