2026 TOURNAMENT TOP SCORERS (updated Jul 18 · Mbappé's tally is final)
Last updated: July 18, 2026 · Mbappé's brace in the 3rd place match took him to 10 — his tournament and Golden Boot tally are now final · Messi remains on 8 with 1 match left, the Final · Haaland & Bellingham tied 3rd on 7, both tournaments over · Kane & Dembélé tied on 6 · Saka's hat-trick puts him on 3 · Semi-final 1: Spain beat France 2-0 (Jul 14, Dallas) · Semi-final 2: Argentina beat England 2-1 (Jul 15, Atlanta) · 3rd place: England beat France 6-4 (Jul 18, Miami) · THE FINAL: Spain vs Argentina, July 19, MetLife Stadium
ALL-TIME WORLD CUP SCORING RECORD
Who leads the Golden Boot after the third place match?
Heading into the third place match, Messi and Mbappé were tied at the top on 8 goals each. Mbappé broke the tie with a brace in France's 6-4 win over England (Jul 18), finishing his tournament on 10 goals — that tally is now final. Messi remains on 8 goals with one match left, the Final vs Spain on July 19 — he'd need 3 goals in that match alone to overtake Mbappé. Haaland's tournament ended in the Quarter-final on 7 goals; Jude Bellingham joined him on 7 with a late goal in the third place match. Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembélé are tied on 6 goals, both tallies final. Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick in the third place match to reach 3.
What is the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot?
The FIFA World Cup Golden Boot (officially the Adidas Golden Boot) is awarded to the player who scores the most goals across the entire tournament — group stage through to the Final. If two players tie on goals, tiebreakers are: most assists, then fewest minutes played. The Golden Boot is presented at the World Cup Final ceremony on July 19, 2026.
Can Messi still win the 2026 Golden Boot?
Messi is 2nd on 8 goals, two behind Mbappé's final tally of 10. Messi did not score in Argentina's 2-1 Semi-final win over England (Jul 15) — though he assisted Lautaro Martínez's stoppage-time winner — so he remains on 8. With Mbappé's tournament over (France finished 4th after the third place match), Messi has just one match left: the Final vs Spain on July 19 at MetLife Stadium. He would need 3 goals in that single match to overtake Mbappé and win the Golden Boot outright — a tall order, but not unprecedented for a player of his history on the biggest stage.
No player in World Cup history has scored more than 13 in a single tournament (Just Fontaine, 1958), and hat-tricks in a Final are exceptionally rare — only Geoff Hurst (1966) has ever done it. Realistically, Mbappé's 10 goals stands as the most likely winning tally, but the door isn't fully closed until the Final whistle.
What about Erling Haaland — his first World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup was Haaland's first ever tournament appearance, and it is now over. Norway failed to qualify for Qatar 2022, meaning the world's most prolific club striker had never played a World Cup match until this year. He finished with 7 goals — including a brace in Norway's 2-1 win over Brazil in the Round of 16 — but Norway were eliminated 2-1 in extra time by England in the Quarter-final on July 11, ending Haaland's Golden Boot bid. He finishes tied 3rd alongside Jude Bellingham, three behind Mbappé's final total of 10. It was still Norway's best-ever World Cup, reaching a Quarter-final for the first time in the nation's history.
At 25, Haaland is the youngest of the leading contenders — meaning he will likely compete for World Cup Golden Boots again in 2030 and 2034. For Messi and Ronaldo, this is almost certainly the last chance.
Who won the World Cup Golden Boot in 2022?
Kylian Mbappe won the 2022 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot with 8 goals in Qatar — including a famous hat trick in the Final against Argentina (France still lost on penalties). It was the highest individual goal tally in a single World Cup since Ronaldo Nazario's 8 goals in 2002.
Mbappé has now gone two better in 2026: after being shackled in the Semi-final loss to Spain (3 shots, none on target), he came alive in the third place match with a brace against England, taking his tournament total to 10 goals — his tournament and his Golden Boot tally are now final. Only Messi, with one match left, can still catch him.
Has Messi ever won the World Cup Golden Boot?
No — Messi has never won the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot. He won the Golden Ball (best player award) at the 2014 World Cup and the Best Young Player award in 2006. In 2026, with goals already in the group stage, it is the most serious he has ever been in contention for the top scorer award.
What is the Golden Boot tiebreaker?
If two or more players finish level on goals, FIFA uses these tiebreakers in order:
1. Most assists in the tournament
2. Fewest minutes played to score those goals
3. FIFA Technical Committee decision (rare)
This means a player who scored 5 goals with 2 assists beats a player who scored 5 goals with 1 assist, regardless of playing time.