Messi leads the race for the Golden Boot in the 2026 World Cup

Argentine star Lionel Messi regained the lead in the race to win the Golden Shoe award in the 2026 World Cup tournament currently being held in the United States of America, Mexico and Canada, after raising his tally to 8 goals and 4 assists, after contributing two assists in his country’s last match yesterday in the semi-final against the England national team, to surpass his closest pursuer, the Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, and enhance his chances of winning the award for the first time in his career.

The Golden Shoe award is awarded to the top scorer in the tournament, with the number of assists being judged in the event of an equal number of goals, which currently gives Messi the advantage after being equal with Mbappe in the number of goals, and superior with an additional assist.

Frenchman Kylian Mbappe comes in second place with 8 goals and 3 assists, to remain a direct contender for the award, as it is possible for him to raise his score in the match for third and fourth place against the England national team, while Norwegian Erling Haaland occupies third place with 7 goals and no assists.

Englishman Jude Bellingham continued his presence on the scorers list by scoring 6 goals and one assist, equal to his compatriot Harry Kane, who has the same tally, while Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé occupies sixth place with 5 goals and two assists, followed by Spaniard Mikel Oyarzabal with 5 goals and one assist.

Messi will play the final match against the Spanish national team and he has a golden opportunity to strengthen his lead in the Golden Boot race, whether by increasing his tally of goals or assists, in light of the direct competition with Mbappe, who still maintains the opportunity to grab the award.

The importance of the final for the captain of the Argentine national team is not limited to the individual competition, but rather extends to continuing to write a new chapter in his historical career with the tournament, after he recently became the all-time leading scorer in the World Cup with 21 goals, strengthening his position as the top scorer in the history of the competition.

Messi also continues to strengthen his records in the tournament, after becoming the player who contributed the most goals in the history of the World Cup, thanks to his goals and assists, in addition to maintaining his influential presence in successive editions, which reflects his continuity at the highest levels of international competition.

Football fans around the world are anticipating the anticipated final confrontation between Argentina and Spain next Sunday, which may witness the addition of new records to Messi’s record of achievements, whether at the level of team titles or individual awards, at a time when all eyes are on the exciting struggle for the Golden Boot award, which is still open until the final whistle of the final match, with the continued competition between the most prominent stars of the tournament.