The race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be one of the tournament’s most compelling storylines, with Argentina captain Lionel Messi and France star Kylian Mbappe locked together at the top of the scoring charts on seven goals each after the opening Round of 16 matches.

Mbappe drew level with Messi after scoring the decisive goal in France’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay, ensuring the battle between the two global superstars remains finely poised heading into the quarter-finals.

Close behind the leading pair are England captain Harry Kane and Norway striker Erling Haaland, who have each scored five goals and remain in contention with their Round of 16 matches still to be played. Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and France winger Ousmane Dembele are among the chasing pack on four goals, while several other players could yet force their way into the race as the knockout rounds continue.

With every remaining match carrying enormous significance, the Golden Boot contest is expected to intensify over the coming week. Messi will have the chance to move ahead when Argentina face Egypt, while Mbappe has already secured his place in the quarter-finals. Kane, Haaland and Vinicius Jr. will all look to close the gap in their respective Round of 16 fixtures, ensuring the race for the tournament’s top scorer remains wide open.

Sweden has spent more than eight million kronor (about $820,000) on a voluntary return programme encouraging Afghan migrants to return to Afghanistan, but no participants have taken up the offer since the initiative began in 2025, according to Sweden’s Aftonbladet.

The programme, known as “Zindagi Taza” (“New Life”), is run by the international organisation Seefar and funded by the Swedish government. It aims to reach around 2,000 Afghans living in Sweden and encourage 200 of them to return voluntarily to Afghanistan.

With only two months remaining before the project concludes, no one has returned through the programme.

Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell said it was too early to judge the initiative’s effectiveness.

“I think we should wait until the end of the project before we evaluate it,” Forssell told Aftonbladet.

The campaign targets Afghan nationals who have been unable to be deported from Sweden. According to Forssell, one of the programme’s objectives is to reduce the number of migrants who remain in the country without legal status by encouraging voluntary return rather than forcing people underground.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, and the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Alexander De Croo, arrived in Kabul on Sunday for a visit focused on Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development challenges.

According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, the two officials were received at Kabul International Airport by the ministry’s deputy minister, Abdul Rahman Rashid.

Welcoming the delegation, Rashid said a field visit provides a more accurate understanding of conditions in Afghanistan than written reports. He said millions of Afghans have lived abroad for years while maintaining ties to their homeland and expressed hope that greater attention to the needs of refugees would help protect their dignity and improve their living conditions.

Barham Salih said the purpose of the visit was to assess the challenges facing the Afghan people firsthand and explore ways to address them.

He added that around six million Afghans have returned to the country since 2023, describing the figure as a global record, and reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting Afghans and ensuring humanitarian assistance reaches those in need.

UNDP’s De Croo said the United Nations maintains an active presence in Afghanistan and will continue supporting the country through development, healthcare and humanitarian assistance. He also pledged efforts to help create more employment opportunities for Afghans.

The ministry said the visit reflects the international community’s commitment to supporting the Afghan people as they face ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges.