Race for FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot is heading towards a thrilling finish (Img: Dynamite News)
New Delhi: The race for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot is heading towards a thrilling finish, with France forward Kylian Mbappe and Argentina captain Lionel Messi level on eight goals as the tournament enters its decisive stage.
Mbappe currently leads the standings because he has registered three assists, one more than Messi. Under FIFA’s ranking rules, assists are used as the first tiebreaker when players finish level on goals. If they are also tied on assists, the player who has played fewer minutes is placed higher.
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The French superstar has scored eight goals and provided three assists in 544 minutes. His consistency has kept him at the top of the leaderboard as France continue their pursuit of another World Cup title.
Messi is close behind with eight goals and two assists from 468 minutes. The Argentine remains firmly in contention, especially with his team still alive in the tournament.
Norway striker Erling Haaland occupies third place with seven goals. However, Norway’s quarter-final defeat to England means he cannot add to his tally.
England stars Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are tied on six goals and one assist each. Kane has played 489 minutes, while Bellingham has completed 486 minutes, leaving both in a strong position to challenge the leaders.
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France attacker Ousmane Dembele is sixth with five goals and two assists. Ismaila Sarr, Mikel Oyarzabal, Julian Quinones and Vinicius Junior have scored four goals apiece.
With the semi-finals and final still to come, players from the remaining teams will have further opportunities to reshape the standings. The close battle between Mbappe and Messi is expected to add another layer of drama to the closing stages of the tournament.
