Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland all delivered standout performances on the same day at the World Cup, underlining their status as the tournament’s biggest stars.

Haaland scored twice in Norway’s 3-2 win over Senegal on Monday night, finding the net in the opening 15 minutes of the second half. His goals helped him recover from an earlier missed header and a shot that struck the post just before halftime.

His display came hours after Messi scored twice for Argentina to set a new World Cup scoring record, while Mbappé also netted a brace for France in a separate match.

Haaland, who is still a month away from turning 26, continues to impress for a national team that lacks the international pedigree of Argentina or France.

“He is the best striker,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said through an interpreter. “He is not playing for France or Argentina. He scores for Norway.”

Between them, the three forwards have now scored 13 goals in the tournament — five for Messi and four each for Mbappé and Haaland — intensifying the Golden Boot race.

“It’s easier to win the Golden Boot when you play for France and Argentina,” Solbakken added. “But we’ll try to give Erling more games and more help in the next matches.”

Messi moved to 18 World Cup goals after Argentina’s win over Austria in Arlington, Texas, becoming the tournament’s all-time top scorer. Mbappé reached 16 goals, tying former record holder Miroslav Klose after France defeated Iraq 3-0 in Philadelphia.

Haaland, playing in his first World Cup after Norway’s long absence since 1998, now has four goals in the competition.

“I’m part of something special. Norway’s part of something special. We’re making history,” Haaland said.

The Manchester City striker has now scored in 12 consecutive competitive matches for Norway, collecting 24 goals in that run. The last time he failed to score in a competitive match for his country was in October 2024.

“He’s on fire,” Solbakken said. “I’m very happy for him that he can score on the biggest stage.”

Haaland’s first goal against Senegal came during a 4-on-2 counterattack after earlier frustration in front of goal. His second, which hit the crossbar before going in, saw him celebrate by cupping his ear toward Norway fans dressed in red.

When asked about his scoring form, Haaland gave a modest explanation.

“It’s my specialty to score goals,” he said. “It’s like many other things: I’m just really good at scoring goals, and I’m quite lucky. I don’t know what I’m doing, but yeah. That’s just how it is.”