FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot award: Who wins top prize if Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi end with same no. of goals?
With eight goals each, Argentina's Lionel Messi and France's Kylian Mbappe are sitting atop the standings in the Golden Boot race for the FIFA World Cup 2026. While Argentina will play Spain in the final, France take on England in the third-place play-off match.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is drawing to a close with defending champions Argentina and Spain are two nations, vying for the coveted trophy at the MetLife Stadium in New York on the night of July 19. While Argentina are aiming to become the third team in history to win back-to-back titles, Spain are seeking their first title since 2010.
Besides the famous golden trophy, several other player and team awards are also up for grabs as iconic moments, team discipline and individual brilliances shape the end-of-tournament honours handed out by FIFA. One such honour of the Golden Boot award, given to the player with most goals.
France's Kylian Mbappe and Argentine Lionel Messi entered the FIFA World Cup 2026 as two of the favourites to walk away with at least one of the awards. While France lost in the semifinals and Messi is set to play in the final. The duo are atop the Golden Boot standings, with eight goals each.
With both France (third place play-off vs England) and Argentina (final vs Spain) having a game left in the competition, the Golden Boot could go either way. However, Messi is placed first, because of his superior assists (four) as compared to Mbappe's three.
How Golden Boot is awarded? How it is decided?
The Golden Boot is awarded each edition to the player who scored most goals at the end of the tournament. With eight goals in the 2026 edition, this happens to be Messi's most successful FIFA World Cup in terms of individual brilliance, after losing out on the prize in the previous edition in Qatar.
In 2022 World Cup, Mbappe pipped Messi by just one goal to take the Golden Boot award with eight goals. But what will happen if Messi and Mbappe are tied on goals at the end of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
If both Messi and Mbappe end on same number of goals, then the player with most assists will go on to win the Golden Boot. In case the number of assists are also on level, then the Golden Boot will be presented to the player who have achieved their goals and assists in least number of minutes.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race
| Player | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
| Kylian Mbappé (France) | 8 | 3 | 667 |
| Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 8 | 2 | 602 |
| Erling Haaland (Norway) | 7 | 0 | 536 |
| Jude Bellingham (England) | 6 | 1 | 572 |
| Harry Kane (England) | 6 | 1 | 624 |
| Ousmane Dembele (France) | 5 | 2 | 595 |
| Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) | 5 | 1 | 595 |
| Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) | 4 | 1 | 419 |
| Julian Quinones (Mexico) | 4 | 1 | 440 |
| Vinicius Junior (Brazil) | 4 | 1 | 506 |
Other FIFA World Cup awards
Besides the Golden Boot, the other awards at the FIFA World Cup are Golden Ball (best player of the tournament), Golden Glove (best goalkeeper of the tournament), Young Player (best emerging player) of the Tournament, FIFA Fair Play award and World Cup’s Goal of the Tournament.
Also, the winners of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final will receive "bespoke championship rings" in addition to the iconic trophy and gold medals, marking the first time such an honour will be presented at a FIFA competition, according to FIFA website.
Inspired by a long-standing American sporting tradition, the customised rings will be awarded to the tournament champions following the final between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19 (local time).
A total of 2,026 individually numbered rings will be produced to commemorate the tournament. Of these, 30 rings will be reserved for members of the winning team, while the remaining 1,996 will be made available to fans worldwide as an official licensed product.
Get all updates from FIFA World Cup 2026 here, along with FIFA World Cup 2026 Complete Schedule and FIFA World Cup 2026 Points Table.
About the Author
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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