As the FIFA World Cup reaches its final stages, one question often comes up among fans: do goals scored in the third-place play-off count toward the Golden Boot race? The answer is yes.
Under FIFA regulations, every goal scored throughout the tournament counts toward the Golden Boot award, which is presented to the competition`s top scorer. That means goals from the group stage, knockout rounds, final, and the third-place playoff are all included in the tally.
One of the best examples came at the 1998 World Cup. Croatia striker Davor Suker scored the winning goal against the Netherlands in the third-place play-off, taking his tournament total to six goals. That strike allowed him to finish as the outright top scorer, edging Argentina`s Gabriel Batistuta to claim the Golden Boot.
The third-place play-off also proved decisive in the Golden Boot race at the 2010 World Cup. Germany`s Thomas Müller scored against Uruguay to bring his tally to five goals. With the same number of goals as several other players, Muller secured the Golden Boot thanks to his superior assist record.
According to FIFA`s tie-breaking rules, if two or more players finish with the same number of goals, the first criterion is the number of assists. If they are still level, the player who has played fewer minutes during the tournament is ranked higher.
As a result, even players who miss out on the World Cup final still have a significant opportunity to achieve individual glory in the third-place playoff. A single goal in that match can ultimately decide the Golden Boot race.
-20260716133111.webp)
-20260716114333.webp)
-20260711072618.jpg)
-20260712062551.webp)
