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World Cup 2026: Messi and Mbappé lead Golden Boot race heading into semifinals
🇲🇽 Mexico /Sports

World Cup 2026: Messi and Mbappé lead Golden Boot race heading into semifinals

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé lead the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race with eight goals each heading into the semifinals.
  • Erling Haaland is close behind with seven goals, followed by Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane with six.
  • Six of the top ten leading scorers are still competing in the tournament, making the final matches crucial for determining the top scorer.

The race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup is wide open as the tournament approaches its final stages. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé currently share the lead with eight goals each, setting up a thrilling contest in the upcoming semifinals and final.

Messi, Argentina's captain, reached his tally without scoring any penalties, while Mbappé of France has scored just one goal from the spot. Both are considered prime candidates for the award presented by FIFA to the tournament's top scorer.

Close on their heels is Erling Haaland of Norway with seven goals. England's Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are also strong contenders, having each netted six goals so far. Further down the list, Ousmane Dembelé of France has five goals, and Mikel Oyarzábal, Julián Quiñones, Ismaila Sarr, and Vinicius Jr. each have four.

Significantly, six of the top ten leading scorers remain in contention. Messi continues with Argentina, Mbappé and Dembelé represent France, Bellingham and Kane are aiming to lead England to the final, and Oyarzábal keeps Spain's hopes alive. The remaining matches will be decisive in crowning the tournament's top marksman.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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