As the 2026 FIFA World Cup progresses, a fascinating battle for the Golden Boot is unfolding between two of football's biggest stars: Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. According to current standings, both forwards have netted seven goals.
However, Mbappe holds the advantage with two assists compared to Messi's zero, positioning the French captain ahead under FIFA's tiebreaker rules that prioritise assists after goals scored.
Many point out that France have played one more match than Argentina, while others question assist attributions and predict Messi could close the gap in Argentina's remaining fixtures.
Kylian Mbappe edges Lionel Messi in Golden Boot race on World Cup assists tiebreaker
With the tournament still very much alive, the race remains wide open as both players continue to drive their teams' campaigns. Meanwhile, the Real Madrid star powered France to reach the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 by converting a penalty in the second half against Paraguay.
With Paraguay now eliminated from the World Cup, France has now become the second team to reach the last eight of the tournament, where they will face Morocco. On the other hand, Morocco are coming off a 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada earlier, at night.
ALSO READ: Kylian Mbappe moves within one goal of Lionel Messi's all-time World Cup record