Mbappe and Messi remain level as Golden Boot race heads into World Cup semi-finals

France striker Kylian Mbappe and Argentina captain Lionel Messi remain locked at the top of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot standings with eight goals each as the tournament heads into the semi-finals.

Even though Argentina secured a 3-1 quarter-final victory over Switzerland on Sunday to help the defending champions reach the last four, Mbappe retained first place in the standings by virtue of the tournament’s tiebreak criteria.

The FIFA Golden Boot is awarded to the tournament’s leading scorer. If two or more players finish level on goals, the first tiebreaker is assists, followed by the fewest minutes played. Mbappe has provided three assists in 563 minutes, while Messi has two assists in 608 minutes, giving the France forward the advantage.

Norway’s Erling Haaland sits third with seven goals after his country’s quarter-final exit to England, ending his chances of challenging for the award.

England have two players still in contention, with midfielder Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane both on six goals and one assist. Bellingham is ranked fourth ahead of Kane after playing fewer minutes during the tournament.

With France, Argentina and England all through to the semi-finals, four of the top five players in the Golden Boot race will have at least one more opportunity to add to their goal tallies.

France face Spain in the first semi-final on Tuesday, July 14, while England take on defending champions Argentina on Wednesday, July 15.

The race for the Golden Boot is expected to go down to the wire, with every goal in the remaining matches potentially deciding who finishes as the tournament’s leading scorer.

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