Lionel Messi rose to the top of the Golden Boot standings for the this Wednesday without having to score a single goal. The Argentine captain provided two assists in the semifinal against England, and thanks to FIFA's tiebreaker criteria, he displaced Kylian Mbappé from the first position in the tournament's scoring table.
Both forwards have accumulated eight goals in the tournament, but Messi now has four assists compared to the Frenchman’s three. FIFA's regulations state that in case of a tie in goals, the tiebreaker is resolved first by the higher number of assists, which temporarily places the Argentine at the top.
The victory of Argentina over England was by 2-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The albiceleste goals came from G. Fernández in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez during stoppage time, while the English goal was scored by I. Gordon in the 55th minute. Messi did not appear on the scoreboard but was involved in the buildup of two of the three goals in the match.
The Albiceleste, reigning world champions since Qatar 2022, advanced to the grand final without relying on their star player to settle the score, although Messi remained the central figure in 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 tally in a semifinal where the Three Lions were far from their best form. The elimination definitively ends their chances in the race for the individual award.
Erling Haaland, third in the ranking with seven goals, will not be able to add more after Norway's elimination in the quarter-finals. Following him 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 frequently exchanging the lead throughout the tournament. Mbappé himself had tied with Messi in goals before the semifinals and even had an advantage in assists, but the two assists provided by the Argentine against England changed the equation.
The historical context adds significance to the moment: Messi is the all-time leading scorer in World Cups, with 21 goals accumulated across six appearances, a record he set on June 22, 2026, with a brace against Austria in Dallas, surpassing Miroslav Klose's 16 goals.
The award definition will remain open until the last minutes of the tournament. Mbappé will have one more chance to close the gap when France faces England in the third-place match, while Messi will seek to extend his lead in the final Argentina vs. España, scheduled for July 19 in New Jersey.
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