Mbappe leads Messi on assists in World Cup Golden Boot race
Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are level on six goals, with FIFA tiebreakers currently putting the France forward ahead.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are tied atop the FIFA World Cup 2026 scoring chart as the tournament reaches the knockout rounds, according to Al Jazeera. Mbappe holds the edge for now because he has two assists, while Messi has none.
Al Jazeera listed both players on six goals after the group stage action in North America. Norway striker Erling Haaland sits one goal behind them on five, while France’s Ousmane Dembele and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior have four each.
Golden Boot standings
- Kylian Mbappe, France: 6 goals, 2 assists
- Lionel Messi, Argentina: 6 goals, 0 assists
- Erling Haaland, Norway: 5 goals, 0 assists
- Ousmane Dembele, France: 4 goals, 2 assists
- Vinicius Junior, Brazil: 4 goals, 1 assist
The Golden Boot goes to the player who finishes the World Cup with the most goals. If players are tied on goals, FIFA’s tiebreaker gives the award to the player with more assists, according to Al Jazeera. If that still does not separate them, the award goes to the player who produced those goals and assists in fewer minutes.
Mbappe is trying to retain the award he won at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Al Jazeera said he scored eight times. He is also seeking to become the first player to win the Golden Boot more than once.
Two other current players are also in position to pursue a second Golden Boot, according to Al Jazeera. England’s Harry Kane won it at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and Colombia’s James Rodriguez led the scoring at the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
Messi’s six goals at this tournament have also strengthened his place in the all-time World Cup scoring list. Al Jazeera listed Messi at 19 career World Cup goals, ahead of Mbappe on 18, Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16, Brazil’s Ronaldo on 15 and West Germany’s Gerd Muller on 14.
Cristiano Ronaldo remains in the race, though he has ground to make up. Al Jazeera reported that the Portugal captain has scored twice at this World Cup, both in a 5-0 group-stage win over Uzbekistan.
The single-tournament record remains well beyond the current leaders. Al Jazeera said France’s Just Fontaine scored 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, ahead of Sandor Kocsis’s 11 in 1954 and Muller’s 10 at the 1970 tournament in Mexico.
With knockout matches ahead, the scoring race can still shift quickly. For now, Mbappe’s assists give him the advantage over Messi in a contest that also includes Haaland, Dembele and Vinicius Junior.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.