France captain Kylian Mbappé has moved ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the latest update from FIFA.
The world football governing body confirmed on Sunday that Mbappé currently tops the scoring chart ahead of the tournament’s semi-finals, despite both players having scored eight goals each.
FIFA explained that Mbappé leads the race because he has provided three assists, while Messi has recorded one assist during the competition.
Norway striker Erling Haaland, whose team has already been eliminated, remains in contention with seven goals.
Meanwhile, England duo Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are next on the list with six goals and one assist each.
FIFA also clarified how the Golden Boot winner is determined when players finish level on goals.
“If two or more players score the same number of goals, the number of assists… shall be decisive,” FIFA stated.
The governing body added that if players remain tied after goals and assists, the award will go to the player who achieved the tally in fewer minutes.
“If two or more players are still equal after taking into account the number of assists, the total minutes played in the tournament will be taken into account, with the player playing fewer minutes ranked first,” FIFA explained.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now at the semi-final stage, both Mbappé and Messi still have the opportunity to add to their goal tally as the race for the tournament’s top scorer award intensifies.
Source: FIFA.
