Lionel Messi is one match away from adding another major achievement to his remarkable career, but the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot is still not over.
Argentina booked their place in the World Cup final after defeating England 2-1 in the semifinal. The victory also gives the defending champions a chance to become the first nation since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 to win back-to-back FIFA World Cups.
While Argentina now focus on the title clash, Messi is also in contention to finish as the tournament’s top scorer.
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Messi and Mbappe remain tied at the top
The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals during the FIFA World Cup. If two or more players finish level on goals, the first tiebreaker is the number of assists. If the tie still remains, the player with fewer minutes played is ranked higher.
Heading into the final, Messi and France captain Kylian Mbappe are tied on eight goals each. However, Messi currently has the edge with four assists, compared to Mbappe’s three.
2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot leaderboard
Lionel Messi (Argentina): 8 goals
Kylian Mbappe (France): 8
Erling Haaland (Norway): 7
Jude Bellingham (England): 6
Harry Kane (England): 6
Ousmane Dembele (France): 5
Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain): 5
Ismaila Sarr (Senegal): 4
Julian Quinones (Mexico): 4
Vinicius Junior (Brazil): 4
Is Messi guaranteed to win the Golden Boot?
No. Messi is not yet assured of winning the award despite leading the standings on the tiebreaker.
France still have one more match to play against England in the third-place playoff, and goals scored in that fixture count towards the Golden Boot standings. That means Mbappe, along with England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, still has an opportunity to move ahead of the Argentine captain.
France winger Ousmane Dembele and Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal are also mathematically in contention, although they would require a significant scoring effort to challenge for the top spot.
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If Mbappe fails to score in the third-place match, Messi will remain in pole position before Argentina play the World Cup final. Unless one of the chasing players produces a remarkable goal-scoring display, the Argentine star is well placed to claim the Golden Boot for the first time in his World Cup career.
Golden Boot odds: How the race has changed
Before the tournament began, Mbappe was the bookmakers’ favourite to win the Golden Boot at +550, followed by England striker Harry Kane at +650. Messi started much lower at +2000, while Norway’s Erling Haaland opened at +1200.
With the tournament now entering its final stage, Messi and Mbappe remain locked in a battle that could be decided by the final two matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
FAQs:
Is Lionel Messi guaranteed to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot?
No, Messi leads the tiebreaker, but Kylian Mbappe and other contenders can still overtake him in the remaining matches.
How is the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner decided if players score the same number of goals?
If goals are tied, the Golden Boot is decided by assists first and then by the fewest minutes played.
