World Cup 2026 Golden Boot standings: Mbappe hunting consolation prize with Messi in final

The race for the golden boot at the World Cup is heading for a thrilling climax featuring some of the best players in the world.

The superstars have lived up their hype at this tournament, none more so than France’s Kylian Mbappe and Argentina hero Lionel Messi. Both have gone tit for tat since the very first outing, each storming past poor Miroslav Klose’s all-time goalscoring record to enter the semi-finals with eight goals apiece. Mbappe’s double in the so-called bronze final took him ahead of Messi, who will have the chance to answer as he faces Spain in the showpiece decider.

But in a twist an already enthralling race, team success may prove a detriment to Messi’s hopes. He is the only real contender for the accolade in the final and faces a tough challenge of breaching Spain’s rock-solid defence, which has only conceded once this tournament. If players are tied for goals, the number of assists will determine who ranks higher. If there is still a tie, it comes down to minutes played and the goals-per-minute ratio, which would favour Mbappe over Messi provided the Argentina captain plays the full final, if it got that far.

The talismanic pair are now the only players in the hunt – though England duo Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham both finish highly. Bellingham went ahead of Erling Haaland with his seventh goall as he finished off a 6-4 win against France to secure a third place finish.