ISTANBUL / Ahmed Hassan / Anadolu

- Messi and Mbappe have surpassed the historic record of German Miroslav Klose of 16 goals in World Cup finals

- The third-place match gives Mbappe a chance to respond, while Messi aims to settle it in the final

- Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembele, and Mikel Oyarzabal are still in contention

As the curtain falls on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the final showdown is not just about the tournament title between Spain and Argentina in the final match, but also extends to an exciting race for the Golden Boot award for the top scorer.

Argentine Lionel Messi and Frenchman Kylian Mbappe top the scoring charts of the 23rd edition of the tournament, with 8 goals each.

However, Messi currently holds the advantage thanks to his 4 assists, compared to 3 for Mbappe, ahead of the third-place match and the final, which will determine the winner of the most prominent individual award for goalscorers.

** Klose's Record Falls

During the current edition, Messi and Mbappe have surpassed the previous record for the most goals scored in World Cup finals history, held by German Miroslav Klose with 16 goals.

Messi raised his tally to 21 goals in 33 World Cup matches, while Mbappe reached 20 goals in 21 matches, reflecting the significant difference in their scoring rates.

Messi entered the 2026 World Cup with 13 goals, before scoring 8 in the current tournament, starting with a hat-trick against Algeria, making him the all-time top scorer in World Cup history.

As for Mbappe, who entered the tournament with 12 goals, he continued his rapid rise in the all-time list, scoring his 20th goal during France's win over Morocco in the quarter-finals.

Thus, the race for the all-time World Cup top scorer has become an open battle between Messi, who is playing in his sixth tournament, and Mbappe, who is only in his third.

** Messi's Advantage in Assists

Messi seized the lead in the Golden Boot race after providing two assists in Argentina's dramatic 2-1 win over England in the semi-final on Wednesday.

England took the lead through Anthony Gordon's goal in the 55th minute, before Messi set up Enzo Fernandez's equalizer in the 85th minute, then sent a precise cross that Lautaro Martinez headed into the net in stoppage time.

The Argentine star thus raised his tally to 4 assists in the current tournament, and to 12 assists in his World Cup history, in addition to his 21 goals, reaching 33 goal contributions in 33 World Cup matches.

Messi had also played a decisive role in Argentina's comeback against Egypt in the round of 16, scoring a goal and providing an assist in the thrilling 3-2 win after his team trailed by two goals.

Messi is now in a position to win his first Golden Boot award in his career, while also aiming to lead Argentina to back-to-back titles when they face Spain in the final on Sunday.

** Mbappe Has a Chance to Respond

Despite France's 2-0 loss to Spain in the semi-final, Mbappe still has a chance to boost his tally when his team faces England in the third-place match on Saturday.

The French striker failed to score against Spain, as the Spanish team managed to limit his threat and keep a clean sheet.

Mbappe currently has 8 goals and 3 assists, having played 666 minutes, compared to 712 minutes for Messi.

The regulations for the Golden Boot award prioritize the player with the most goals first, then the player with the most assists in case of a tie, and then the player with fewer minutes played if the tie persists.

Accordingly, Messi currently leads thanks to his four assists, but Mbappe scoring or assisting against England could overturn the top order before Argentina plays the final.

Mbappe had won the Golden Boot at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, scoring 8 goals, including a hat-trick in the final against Argentina, which was decided on penalty kicks.

** Kane and Bellingham Await Their Chance

The competition is not limited to Messi and Mbappe, as Norwegian Erling Haaland ranks third with 7 goals, but he left the tournament after Norway were eliminated by England in the quarter-finals.

English duo Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane follow with 6 goals each, and they will have a chance to increase their tally during the third-place match against France.

Kane, who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 Russia World Cup with 6 goals, scored a goal and provided an assist in England's win over Mexico in the round of 16.

Bellingham, meanwhile, has firmly entered the competition after scoring England's two goals in the 2-1 win over Norway in the quarter-finals.

Frenchman Ousmane Dembele and Spaniard Mikel Oyarzabal have 5 goals each, with Dembele holding an advantage in assists with 2 compared to Oyarzabal's 1.

Dembele scored a hat-trick during France's win over Norway in the group stage, becoming one of the few players to score a hat-trick in the current edition.

** 2026 World Cup Top Scorers

Lionel Messi (Argentina): 8 goals and 4 assists

Kylian Mbappe (France): 8 goals and 3 assists

Erling Haaland (Norway): 7 goals

Jude Bellingham (England): 6 goals

Harry Kane (England): 6 goals

Ousmane Dembele (France): 5 goals

Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain): 5 goals

** All-Time World Cup Top Scorers

Lionel Messi (Argentina): 21 goals

Kylian Mbappe (France): 20 goals

Miroslav Klose (Germany): 16 goals

Ronaldo (Brazil): 15 goals

Harry Kane (England): 14 goals

Gerd Muller (West Germany): 14 goals

Just Fontaine (France): 13 goals

Pele (Brazil): 12 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 11 goals