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.

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to watch these exciting matches live and exclusively on Ariana Radio and Television Network. For updated schedules follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media pages. 

The FIFA World Cup semi-final line-up has been confirmed, with Argentina securing the final place in the last four after defeating Switzerland 3-1 in their quarter-final on Sunday.

The defending champions joined France, Spain and England in the semi-finals after a clinical display ended Switzerland’s hopes of a first World Cup semi-final appearance.

France were the first team to book their place in the final four after a 2-0 victory over Morocco on Thursday.

Spain then secured a dramatic 2-1 win over Belgium, with Mikel Merino scoring a late winner to set up a blockbuster semi-final against France.

England completed the semi-final line-up after edging Norway to reach the last four of the tournament for the first time since the 2018 World Cup.

The two semi-finals will be played over consecutive days, with France taking on Spain on Tuesday, July 14, before England face defending champions Argentina on Wednesday, July 15.

Semi-final fixtures:

• Tuesday, July 14: France vs Spain

• Wednesday, July 15: England vs Argentina

The winners of the two matches will advance to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, while the losing teams will contest the third-place play-off.

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to watch these exciting matches live and exclusively on Ariana Radio and Television Network. For updated schedules follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media pages. 

Mikel Merino scored a late winner as Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals, setting up a clash with France.

Spain took the lead through Fabián Ruiz in the 30th minute before Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere equalised 11 minutes later with a header.

The match appeared headed for extra time until substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who replaced the injured Thibaut Courtois, failed to hold Pau Cubarsí’s shot, allowing Merino to score the winner in the 88th minute.

It was Merino’s second consecutive match-winning goal as a substitute after his late strike against Portugal in the round of 16.

Spain, who last won the World Cup in 2010, will face France on Tuesday in Dallas for a place in the final. Belgium’s tournament ended after suffering key injury setbacks, including the loss of Courtois and midfielder Amadou Onana.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) is broadcasting every FIFA World Cup 2026 match live across Afghanistan. Football fans can also follow Ariana Television and Ariana News on Facebook, X, Instagram and Telegram for the latest match schedules, live coverage, highlights and tournament updates.