Golden boot race goes down to the wire as Messi, Mbappé lead star-studded chase
USA: The race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot will be decided over the tournament’s final two matches, with several of football’s biggest stars still in contention. Argentina captain Lionel Messi and France skipper Kylian Mbappé lead the scoring charts with eight goals each, although Messi currently holds the advantage thanks to four assists.
England teammates Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane remain in the hunt with six goals apiece and will have one final opportunity to add to their tally in Saturday’s third-place playoff against France. Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal and France’s Ousmane Dembélé, both on five goals, also retain an outside chance of claiming the award.
Norway striker Erling Haaland, who scored seven goals before his team’s quarter-final exit, can no longer improve his total. Meanwhile, 39-year-old Messi heads into Sunday’s final against Spain as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 21 goals, one ahead of Mbappé, who is aiming to win back-to-back Golden Boot awards after finishing as the top scorer at Qatar 2022.
