Despite scoring the same number of goals after the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has confirmed that France captain Kylian Mbappe is ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the adidas Golden Boot race.
Mbappe reclaimed top spot after scoring his eighth goal of the tournament in France’s quarter-final victory over Morocco, taking his tally to eight goals and three assists.
Messi also has eight goals but trails the French forward with two assists, leaving the Argentina captain second in the standings.
Norway striker Erling Haaland remains third with seven goals after netting a brace against Brazil in the quarter-finals, while England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are tied on six goals and one assist each.
France winger Ousmane Dembele occupies sixth place with five goals and two assists, while Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr, Mexico’s Julian Quinones, Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal have four goals apiece.
Golden Boot Rules
According to a statement on FIFA’s website on Sunday, the Golden Boot will be awarded to the player who finishes as the tournament’s top scorer.
“If two or more players score the same number of goals, the number of assists (as determined by the members of the FIFA Technical Study Group) shall be decisive.
“If two or more players are still equal after taking into account the number of assists, the total minutes played in the tournament will be taken into account, with the player playing fewer minutes ranked first,” the football body said.
So far, Mbappe has played fewer minutes than Messi.
Top 10 adidas Golden Boot standings after the quarter-finals:
Kylian Mbappe (France) – 8 goals, 3 assists
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 8 goals, 2 assists
Erling Haaland (Norway) – 7 goals, 0 assists
Jude Bellingham (England) – 6 goals, 1 assist
Harry Kane (England) – 6 goals, 1 assist
Ousmane Dembele (France) – 5 goals, 2 assists
Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) – 4 goals, 1 assist
Julian Quinones (Mexico) – 4 goals, 1 assist
Vinicius Junior (Brazil) – 4 goals, 1 assist
Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) – 4 goals, 1 assist.