Argentina’s Messi is tied in goal with France’s Mbappe as the World Cup favorites aim to advance to the knockout stages.
Published July 1, 2026
Regards, Lionel. This is what soccer fans are hoping Kylian Mbappé said to Lionel Messi after France’s dominant victory at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As the tournament progresses to the finals, the battle for the tournament’s top scorer becomes even more intense.
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Argentina’s great Messi is competing with French superstar Mbappe for the top spot, with Norway’s Erling Haaland and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior close behind.
Here’s what you need to know about FIFA’s Golden Boot Award.
What is the FIFA Golden Boot Award and how is it determined?
The FIFA Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals at the end of the tournament.
France’s Mbappé is the current holder after scoring eight goals in the 2022 World Cup against Qatar.
If two players are tied for the same number of goals at the end of the tournament, the player with the most assists wins the award.
If these tiebreakers cannot separate two players, the Golden Boot will go to the player with the fewest minutes of goals and assists.
Who will be the top scorer at the 2026 World Cup?
Kylian Mbappé (France) – 6 goals, 2 assists Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 6 goals, 0 assists Erling Haaland (Norway) – 5 goals, 0 assists Ousmane Dembele (France) – 4 goals, 2 assists Vinicius Junior (Brazil) – 4 goals, 1 assist
How many times has a current World Cup player won the Golden Boot award?
Mbappe, Harry Kane and James Rodriguez are all aiming to become top scorers for a second time.
England’s Kane won the award at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and Colombia’s Rodríguez was the top scorer at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
No player has ever won this award more than once.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo win the Golden Boot this year?
He can do it, but he needs to start scoring more goals sooner.
The Portuguese veteran has scored two goals in this tournament, both of which came in a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan in the group stage.
Portugal are aiming for a higher place in the tournament and will be looking to their captain to increase his goal tally.
Who has scored the most goals in a single World Cup?
French forward Juste Fontaine holds the record for scoring an astonishing 13 goals in the 1958 tournament in Sweden.
Sandor Kocsis scored 11 goals in the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, and West Germany’s Gerd Müller scored 10 goals in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
Who has scored the most goals in FIFA World Cup history?
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 19 Kylian Mbappé (France) – 18 Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15 Gerd Muller (West Germany) – 14
