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Lionel Messi took sole control of the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot after another decisive performance took Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final. The 39-year-old scored two assists during Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 comeback win against England in the semi-finals, moving ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé in the tournament’s official tiebreaks and putting himself in pole position to finish as the competition’s leading scorer.
Messi leads after another decisive performance
Messi entered the semi-finals with Mbappé on eight goals after both captains dominated the scoring charts during the tournament.Although neither player added to their tally of goals in the final four, Messi’s influence once again proved crucial.With England leading 1-0 entering the closing stages, the Argentine captain orchestrated the comeback by scoring both goals. He first found Enzo Fernández in the 85th minute to equalize before sending another pinpoint cross in stoppage time for Lautaro Martínez to head home the winner to send the reigning champions into Sunday’s final against Spain.Those two assists took Messi’s tournament tally to four, moving him ahead of Mbappé under FIFA’s Golden Boot tiebreak criteria.The latest order now reads:
The rivals have one last chance
While Messi currently leads the standings, the race for the Golden Boot is not yet mathematically decided.France and England will meet in the play-off for third place, meaning Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham still have one last chance to add to their goal tally and challenge Messi’s lead.Mbappé remains the closest competitor, trailing only in assists after equaling Messi’s eight goals. Kane and Bellingham, meanwhile, would need a significant scoring output in the playoffs to close the gap.Erling Haaland is the only player among the leading candidates who is no longer in the competition, after Norway’s elimination in the quarter-finals.
Consistency defined Messi’s tournament
Messi’s lead in the Golden Boot race reflects the consistency he has shown during Argentina’s title defence.The captain contributed directly to Argentina’s attacking output at every stage of the tournament, combining for eight goals with four assists as he continued to decide the biggest games.Messi’s two assists took his World Cup career tally to a record 12, the most by any player since Opta began keeping detailed records of the tournament in 1966. He also extended his remarkable streak of scoring or assisting to 13 consecutive World Cup games, another unmatched record in the same period.
One last chance to complete another historic campaign
Argentina will now meet Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium with the trophy and several individual honors on the line.Messi already leads the Golden Boot standings, but another goal or assist against Spain would further strengthen his position as he joins the tournament where he has already become the World Cup’s assist leader and led Argentina to a second straight final.With his nearest rivals still having one last game to play in the play-off for third place, the race remains technically open, but Messi has the advantage heading into the final.Barring a dramatic change in the pecking order, the Golden Boot remains firmly in his hands.
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