The race for the Golden Boot in the 2026 World Cup is heading into its final chapter, with Argentina's captain Lionel Messi poised to seize the award in the final match against Spain. This comes after a fierce competition with French star Kylian Mbappé, who currently leads the standings, benefiting from fewer minutes played impacting the tiebreaker criteria.
Messi needs to score three goals in the final to guarantee the Golden Boot, or net two goals and provide an assist to surpass Mbappé in total goal contributions.
There is a third scenario where a player scores two goals and exits the match before the 78th minute. Mbappé has played 698 minutes in the tournament, while Messi has played 620 minutes before the final, giving him an advantage in the criterion of the least number of playing minutes if both players are tied in goals and assists.
FIFA regulations stipulate that the Golden Boot is awarded to the player with the most goals. In case of a tie, the first tiebreaker is the number of assists, followed by the fewest minutes played during the tournament. Therefore, Messi's chances remain strong ahead of the clash with Spain, despite Mbappé leading the race before the final match.
The World Cup final against Spain will be a golden opportunity for Messi not only to guide Argentina towards the global title but also to add the Golden Boot to his list of achievements, in a match that could determine one of the most thrilling individual rivalries in the 2026 World Cup.
