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FIFA has confirmed that France captain Kylian Mbappe is ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the adidas Golden Boot race, despite both players scoring eight goals after the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
Mbappe has three assists to Messi’s two, giving him the lead. Under FIFA’s rules, if two or more players score the same number of goals, the number of assists is the decisive factor.
If still tied, the player with fewer minutes played ranks first. Mbappe has played fewer minutes than Messi. Norway’s Erling Haaland is third with seven goals, while England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are tied on six goals and one assist each.
1. Kylian Mbappe (France) – 8 goals, 3 assists
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 8 goals, 2 assists
3. Erling Haaland (Norway) – 7 goals, 0 assists
4. Jude Bellingham (England) – 6 goals, 1 assist
5. Harry Kane (England) – 6 goals, 1 assist
6. Ousmane Dembele (France) – 5 goals, 2 assists
7. Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) – 4 goals, 1 assist
8. Julian Quinones (Mexico) – 4 goals, 1 assist
9. Vinicius Junior (Brazil) – 4 goals, 1 assist
10. Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) – 4 goals, 1 assist
The Golden Boot race will be decided in the semi-finals and final. Mbappe and France face Spain, while Messi and Argentina face England. The winner of the Golden Boot could be determined by the final result.
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