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FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race heats up… Kylian Mbappe stays level with Lionel Messi despite France’s exit
France may be out of the World Cup title race, but Kylian Mbappe remains firmly in contention for the Golden Boot as his battle with Lionel Messi heads into the final stages of the tournament.
Kylian Mbappe’s dream of lifting the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy came to a heartbreaking end after France suffered a 2-0 defeat against Spain in the semi-finals. However, while Les Bleus are no longer in contention for the title, Mbappe’s chase for another Golden Boot remains very much alive.
The French captain failed to score in the last-four clash as Spain produced a disciplined performance to book their place in the World Cup final. Despite the setback, Mbappe continues to share the lead in the tournament’s top-scorer standings alongside Lionel Messi.
Mbappe and Messi locked on eight goals
Heading into the closing stages of the tournament, both Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi have scored eight goals each.
Mbappe currently holds the advantage in the Golden Boot race due to the first tiebreaker—assists. The French forward has registered three assists, compared to Messi’s two, giving him a slight edge if both players finish with the same number of goals.
The race, however, remains wide open as Argentina still have an opportunity to add to their tally in the second semi-final against England.
France still have one game left
Although France’s hopes of winning the World Cup are over, Mbappe will get another opportunity to improve his goal count in the third-place playoff.
France will face the loser of the Argentina vs England semi-final in Miami Gardens, Florida, while Spain will meet the winner in the World Cup final at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The additional fixture could prove decisive in determining who finishes as the tournament’s leading scorer.
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Mbappe reflects on France’s semi-final defeat
Following the loss, Mbappe accepted responsibility as captain and admitted the team’s disappointment at missing out on another World Cup final.”At the end of the day, you take all the glory when you win. When you don’t win, it’s part of the game. As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility, and I have no problem with that. We wanted to go to the final. We didn’t go,” Mbappe said.
Against Spain, the star forward struggled to influence the contest and had the fewest first-half touches among France’s attacking players.
His best opportunity arrived midway through the second half, but his effort was deflected narrowly wide by Marc Cucurella, with Spain already holding a comfortable two-goal advantage.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot standings
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals | Assists* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylian Mbappe | France | 8 | 3 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 8 | 2 |
| 3 | Gonzalo García | Spain | 7 | — |
| 4 | Harry Kane | England | 6 | — |
| 5 | Lamine Yamal | Spain | 5 | — |
*Assists are the primary tiebreaker when players finish level on goals.
With the World Cup entering its final week, the Golden Boot battle promises to remain one of the tournament’s biggest storylines. While France’s title challenge has ended, Mbappe still has the chance to retain his crown as the competition’s top scorer, though Lionel Messi will be aiming to overtake him as Argentina continue their quest for back-to-back World Cup titles.
