World Cup 2026: How is the top scorer decided in the event of a tie?

As Messi, Mbappé, and Haaland battle it out for the Golden Boot, FIFA's regulations set out several criteria to break the deadlock in case of a tie.

The race for the top scorer title at the 2026 World Cup promises a thrilling finish. Ahead of the quarterfinals, Lionel Messi is leading the pack with eight goals, just ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, who have both netted seven times. Not far behind are Harry Kane (6 goals), followed by Ousmane Dembélé, Jude Bellingham, and Mikel Oyarzabal (4 goals each), all still in the hunt.

But what happens if several players finish the tournament with the same number of goals? Contrary to popular belief, the Golden Boot is not automatically shared. In fact, the first tiebreaker is the number of assists. At the moment, Mbappé holds the edge with two assists, compared to one for Messi and none for Haaland.

Also read: World Cup 2026: UN also condemns racist remarks targeting Mbappé

If the tie still remains after this initial criterion, FIFA then looks at playing time. The trophy is awarded to the player who has spent the least minutes on the pitch, thereby rewarding the best scoring efficiency. Finally, if no difference can be found after these two criteria, the Golden Boot will be shared among the tied players.

The full ranking of top scorers ahead of the quarterfinals:

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

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Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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