CORNERFLICK
Lionel Messi currently leads the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race, but Kylian Mbappé still has a route to overtake him before the tournament ends.
Both players have scored eight goals, yet Messi has four assists to Mbappé’s three. That leaves the Argentina captain in front on the first tiebreak, while France’s forward can still improve his tally in the third-place play-off against England.
Adidas’ Golden Boot criteria are straightforward: goals come first, then official assists recorded by FIFA’s technical study group, and then minutes played if the players remain level.
If the numbers stay as they are, Messi would take the award. If Mbappé adds an assist against England and Messi fails to score or assist in Sunday’s final against Spain, both would finish on eight goals and four assists.
In that case, minutes played would decide it. Mbappé has logged 609 minutes, compared with Messi’s 620, so the France forward would win the tie-break if he ends the final match with fewer than 11 extra minutes on the pitch than Messi.