Lautaro Martinez emerged as the top scorer after the Copa America group phase, netting four times in three matches.
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The excitement of Copa America is ramping up with the initial rounds now history.
Despite missing Lionel Messi in their latest match, Argentina breezed through Group A.
Lautaro Martinez made up for his previous mishaps at the 2022 World Cup by finding the back of the net consistently here.
Brazil advanced as predicted, powered by Vinicius Junior, while Darwin Nunez leads the charge for Marcelo Bielsa’s dynamic Uruguayan squad.
As the tournament progresses, who will snatch the coveted Golden Boot?
Lautaro Martinez (four goals)
Martinez tops the leader board so far.
Last season, his 24 goals earned him the top scorer title in Serie A, helping Inter clinch the Scudetto.
Before the tournament, he hadn’t scored for Argentina in 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Yet, a friendly against Guatemala saw him score twice. Despite limited starts, he’s already scored four goals here.
Martinez has taken the most shots for Argentina, totaling nine. Since his Copa debut in 2019, he’s the overall leading scorer with nine goals.
His role might change with Messi’s return, yet with games against Ecuador and possibly Canada or Venezuela next, Martinez’s prospects look bright.
Vinicius Junior (two goals)
Champions League glory still fresh, Vinicius entered this tournament as Brazil’s critical figure.
Without Neymar, all eyes were on him to spark Brazil’s somewhat pragmatic team.
Yet, suspension due to yellow cards rules him out of the next big game against Uruguay.
Vinicius’ cards equal his goal count, both achieved in a demolition of Paraguay.
With potentially just two games left, can he catch up to Martinez?
Darwin Nunez (two goals)
Nunez, hailing from Liverpool, might just eclipse Vinicius’ ambitions.
The 24-year-old may not always be precise, but he embodies the Bielsa philosophy perfectly.
His low shot-to-goal conversion doesn’t overshadow two tournament goals from an xG of 1.8. If Uruguay trumps Brazil, facing either Colombia or Panama is next for Nunez.
Salomon Rondon (two goals)
An unexpected but pivotal player, Rondon has helped Venezuela top their group. They now face Canada, a team known for defensive gaps, in the quarterfinals. Among the highest in tournament xG, Rondon’s scoring chances are plenty. A win over Canada might edge him closer to the Golden Boot. Daniel Munoz, Eduard Bello, Maximiliano Araujo (two goals) These players, also with a pair of goals, remain long shots for the top spot. Munoz, a right-back, unlikely to maintain his scoring, scored in a draw with Brazil. Bello’s pair came from minimal attempts, which appears unsustainable. Conversely, Araujo is outperforming with two goals from an xG of 0.6. Concerning Messi? Messi, a key player in the previous Copa and the World Cup, has yet to score this tournament.
So far, his seven attempts have come close, but no goals yet for Argentina’s star.
