Messi leads Golden Boot race after semi-final victory

Messi leads the race via the official FIFA tiebreaker, having accumulated four assists compared to Mbappé's three going into the final weekend.

16 Jul 2026 06:11pm
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi and Argentina's midfielder #20 Alexis Mac Allister (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi and Argentina's midfielder #20 Alexis Mac Allister (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)

NEW YORK - Lionel Messi's two assists in Argentina's semi-final win over England have put the captain back on top in the race for the World Cup Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament's top scorer.

Messi and France captain Kylian Mbappé are level on eight goals, but Messi leads the Golden Boot race on the tiebreaker with four assists to Mbappé's three, going into the final two matches.

Messi will play against Spain in Sunday's final, while Mbappé also has one match remaining - the third-place play-off against England on Saturday.

Assists are the first tiebreaker when players are level on goals. If they remain tied, the player who has played fewer minutes at the tournament is ranked higher.

In that regard, Mbappé has the edge, having played 666 minutes compared with Messi's 712, as Argentina needed extra time twice.

Mbappé won the Golden Boot in 2022 with eight goals, ahead of Messi, who scored seven.

Messi has never won the tournament's top scorer award but now holds the all-time World Cup scoring record with 21 goals, one more than Mbappé. - BERNAMA

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ARGENTINA
Golden Boot
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World Cup

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