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France captain Kylian Mbappe has moved ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after FIFA released its latest top scorers’ standings ahead of the semi-finals.
Both players have scored eight goals in the tournament, but Mbappe currently leads the rankings by virtue of a superior assist record.
FIFA confirmed on Sunday that the French forward has provided three assists, while Messi has registered one, giving Mbappe the edge under the competition’s tie-breaking rules.
Norway striker Erling Haaland, whose country’s World Cup campaign ended in the quarter-finals, remains in contention with seven goals despite Norway’s elimination.
England duo Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane complete the leading pack with six goals and one assist each after helping the Three Lions reach the last four.
Explaining how the Golden Boot winner is determined when players finish level on goals, FIFA said:
“If two or more players score the same number of goals, the number of assists (as determined by the members of the FIFA Technical Study Group) shall be decisive.”
The governing body added that if players remain tied after goals and assists, total playing time becomes the next deciding factor.
“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.”
With the World Cup semi-finals still to come, both Mbappe and Messi have another opportunity to strengthen their claims for the tournament’s top individual scoring prize, while Bellingham and Kane remain within striking distance should they continue England’s run to the final.
