The race for the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot has intensified with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe emerging as the top contenders. Although Messi failed to score in the semi-final against England, he strengthened his position in the race by providing assists for both of Argentina’s goals.
Both Messi and Mbappe have scored eight goals in the tournament so far, increasing the excitement over the top scorer award ahead of the final and the third-place play-off.
If two or more players finish the tournament with the same number of goals, FIFA follows three criteria to determine the Golden Boot winner:
Highest number of goals (primary criterion):
The player who scores the most goals throughout the tournament wins the Golden Boot. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Kylian Mbappe won the award after scoring eight goals, while Lionel Messi finished with seven goals.
First tiebreaker (number of assists):
If players are level on goals, the number of assists is considered first. The player who has provided more assists will be ranked higher.
Second tiebreaker (minutes played):
If both goals and assists are equal, the total playing time will be taken into account. The player who has played fewer minutes while recording the same number of goals and assists will have the advantage in the Golden Boot race.
Current Golden Boot contenders:
- Lionel Messi — 8 goals, 4 assists
- Kylian Mbappe — 8 goals, 3 assists
- Erling Haaland — 7 goals, 0 assists (eliminated after Norway’s exit from the tournament)
- Harry Kane — 6 goals, 1 assist
- Jude Bellingham — 6 goals, 1 assist
The outcome of the final and the third-place play-off will determine who lifts this year’s Golden Boot. The battle between Messi and Mbappe is set to remain one of the biggest talking points until the final whistle.
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