World Cup 2026 – Top scorers ranking: Messi overtakes Mbappé without scoring

19.07.26 AET World Cup

Spain

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Argentina

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Despite failing to find the net in the semi-final against England, Lionel Messi has overtaken Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina will compete in their third final in the last four World Cup editions thanks to their dramatic comeback victory over the Three Lions (2-1).

The Argentine captain was second in the top scorers ranking before this match, even though he had the same number of goals as Kylian Mbappé (8 each).

According to the rules, the first tiebreaker when two players are level is the number of assists. Thanks to his two assists for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, La Pulga has taken sole possession of the top scorer ranking.

Currently, Messi has 4 assists compared to Mbappé's 3. If they're still tied after this, the next criterion is the number of minutes played.

Both Golden Boot contenders will have one last chance to break the deadlock this weekend as France faces England in the third-place playoff and Argentina takes on Spain in the final.

Here is the Top 10 scorers of the 2026 World Cup:

1- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 8 goals

2- Kylian Mbappé (France): 8 goals

3- Erling Haaland (Norway): 7 goals

4- Jude Bellingham (England): 6 goals

5- Harry Kane (England): 6 goals

6- Ousmane Dembélé (France): 5 goals

7- Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain): 5 goals

8- Vinícius Júnior (Brazil): 4 goals

9- Julián Quiñones (Mexico): 4 goals

10- Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal): 4 goals

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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