France captain Kylian Mbappe has moved ahead of Argentina star Lionel Messi in the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup adidas Golden Boot despite both players finishing the quarter-finals with eight goals.
FIFA confirmed on Sunday that Mbappe currently leads the scoring chart after registering three assists alongside his eight goals, while Messi sits second with the same number of goals but two assists.
Mbappe reclaimed the top spot after finding the net in France’s quarter-final victory over Morocco, taking his overall tally to eight goals in the tournament.
Norway striker Erling Haaland occupies third place with seven goals following his brace in the quarter-final clash against Brazil.
England duo Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are jointly fourth, each having scored six goals and provided one assist.
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France winger Ousmane Dembele is sixth on the standings with five goals and two assists, while Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr, Mexico’s Julian Quinones, Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal complete the top 10 with four goals each and one assist.
FIFA explained that the Golden Boot is awarded to the player who finishes the tournament with the highest number of goals.
The world football governing body noted that where players are tied on goals, the number of assists recorded during the competition becomes the deciding factor.
“If two or more players score the same number of goals, the number of assists shall be decisive,” FIFA stated.
It added that if players remain level after goals and assists, the award will be decided by total minutes played, with the player who featured for fewer minutes ranked higher.
Mbappe currently holds an advantage over Messi in that category as well, having played fewer minutes during the tournament.
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
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