Messi leads the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot

Although he did not score in the semifinal against England, Messi still emerged as the biggest winner in the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot. His two assists, which helped Argentina come from behind to win 2-1, lifted the 39-year-old superstar past Mbappe in total goal contributions at the tournament.

Before the semifinal, Messi and Mbappe both had 8 goals. However, the French striker had an edge with 3 assists, while Messi had only 2. But the two assists in the semifinal brought Messi's tournament tally to 8 goals and 4 assists, overtaking Mbappe (8 goals, 3 assists) to lead the Golden Boot race.

In the final between Argentina and Spain, the legendary number 10 still has a chance to extend his scoring and assisting records before the 2026 World Cup concludes.

With two assists in the semifinal between Argentina and England, Messi shattered the World Cup all-time assist record, becoming the only player with 12 assists in the tournament's history.

Notably, if he takes the field in the final against Spain, the Argentina captain will become one of the few players to appear in three World Cup finals.

According to FIFA's criteria, when players are tied on goals, assists are the first tiebreaker. If still tied, fewer minutes played is prioritized. Therefore, Messi currently holds the biggest advantage in the race for the World Cup's most prestigious individual award.

Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were once expected to make a strong push in the semifinal, trailing the leaders by just two goals. However, against Argentina's disciplined defense, both England stars were silenced.

Harry Kane remains stuck at 6 goals, matching the tally he achieved when winning the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot.

The third-place match between England and France will be a direct showdown among four names in the top five scorers: Mbappé (8 goals), Dembélé, Kane, and Bellingham (all with 6 goals). Theoretically, the open nature of a third-place match often allows strikers to score more goals than a tightly contested final.

Considering the nature of the two final matches, the balance of the World Cup Golden Boot race is slightly tilting toward Mbappé. The French striker will face an England defense that exposed several gaps in the semifinal. Meanwhile, Messi will have to contend with a very solid Spain, a team that has conceded only one goal throughout the tournament.

Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal (5 goals) is an intriguing wildcard. Although the three-goal gap is significant, playing in the final with support from world-class playmakers like Lamine Yamal or Pedri gives the striker a slim chance of a dramatic upset.