Lionel Messi reached the top of the Golden Boot standings for the this Wednesday without needing to score a single goal.
The Argentine captain provided two assists in the semifinal against England and, thanks to FIFA's tiebreaker criteria, moved Kylian Mbappé out of the top spot in the tournament's scoring table.
Both forwards have accumulated eight goals in the tournament, but Messi now has four assists compared to the French player’s three. FIFA regulations state that in the event of a tie in goals, the tie is first resolved by the greater number of assists, which temporarily places the Argentine at the top.
Argentina's victory over England was 2-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The goals for the Albicelestes came from Enzo Fernández in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez in stoppage time, while the English goal was scored by Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute. Messi did not score, but he was involved in the build-up to two of the three goals in the match.
La Albiceleste, the reigning world champion since Qatar 2022, advanced to the grand final without relying on its star player to decide the outcome, although Messi remained the focal point of Argentina's offensive play.
In the English camp, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane bid farewell to the tournament with six goals each, unable to improve their record in a semifinal where the Three Lions were far from their best version. The elimination definitively closes their chances in the race for the individual award.
Erling Haaland, third in the standings with seven goals, will no longer be able to add to his tally after Norway's elimination in the quarter-finals. Following them are Ousmane Dembélé and Mikel Oyarzabal, both with five goals.
The race for the Golden Boot has been one of the most intense subplots of the 2026 World Cup, with Messi, Mbappé, and Haaland taking turns at the top of the leaderboard throughout the tournament. Mbappé himself had tied with Messi in goals before the semifinals and even had the advantage in assists, but the two setups from the Argentine against England changed the equation.
The historical context adds significance to the moment: Messi is the all-time top scorer in World Cups, with 21 goals accumulated over six appearances, a record he set on June 22, 2026, with a double against Austria in Dallas, surpassing Miroslav Klose's 16 goals.
The definition of the award will remain open until the last moments of the tournament. Mbappé will have one more opportunity to close the gap when France faces England in the third-place match, while Messi will look to increase his lead in the final Argentina vs. Spain, scheduled for July 19 in New Jersey.
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