Mbappé Eliminated from World Cup Final but Still Contends for Golden Boot

Kylian Mbappé and France's journey toward a World Cup title was halted in the semifinals, falling to Spain. Despite this setback, the tournament's leading scorer, Mbappé, still has a chance to win the Golden Boot.

France, managed by Didier Deschamps, lost 2-0 to Spain. Mikel Oyarzabal scored the first goal from a penalty in the first half, and Pedro Porro sealed the victory with another goal in the second half. Spain now awaits the winner of the semifinal between England and Argentina.

France still has one more match to play in the tournament: the third-place playoff. This game is scheduled for Saturday, July 17, at 2:00 PM. This will be Mbappé's first time participating in this fixture across his three World Cup appearances. In the previous two tournaments (2018 and 2022), he reached the final with France, winning the title in his debut.

Despite his team's defeat, the French forward remains one of the tournament's top scorers with eight goals, level with Argentina's Lionel Messi. Mbappé has the opportunity to increase his tally in the third-place match. However, Messi and Argentina still have at least one more game to play, potentially including the final or the third-place playoff.

Mbappé is also pursuing the all-time World Cup scoring record. He currently has 20 goals, one less than Lionel Messi, who holds the record.