France captain Kylian Mbappe has moved ahead of Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the race for the adidas Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite both players scoring eight goals after the quarter-final stage.
Mbappe regained the lead after scoring in France’s quarter-final victory over Morocco, taking his tournament tally to eight goals and three assists. Messi, who also has eight goals, has recorded two assists, placing him second in the standings.
Norway striker Erling Haaland is third with seven goals following his brace in the quarter-finals against Brazil. England teammates Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane share fourth place with six goals and one assist each.
France winger Ousmane Dembele is sixth with five goals and two assists. Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr, Mexico’s Julian Quiñones, Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal complete the top 10 with four goals each and one assist.
According to FIFA, the Golden Boot is awarded to the player who finishes as the tournament’s leading scorer. If two or more players finish level on goals, the number of assists, as determined by the FIFA Technical Study Group, will serve as the first tiebreaker.
Should players remain tied after goals and assists, FIFA will rank the player who has played fewer minutes higher.
At the end of the quarter-finals, Mbappe has played fewer minutes than Messi, giving the France forward an additional advantage should the pair remain level on goals and assists.
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 Quiñones (Mexico) – 4 goals, 1 assist
Vinicius Junior (Brazil) – 4 goals, 1 assist
Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) – 4 goals, 1 assist
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