The World Cup Golden Boot 2026 race remains open with only four matches left in the tournament. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe lead the standings on eight goals, while Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane still have a chance to finish as the tournament’s top scorer. Here are the latest World Cup Golden Boot 2026 standings, the players still in contention and how FIFA decides the winner.
World Cup Golden Boot 2026 Standings
Messi tops the standings on assists after matching Mbappe’s eight-goal tally. The Argentina captain has four assists, while Mbappe has three.
Haaland has seven goals, with Bellingham and Kane on six each. Bellingham ranks above his England team-mate because he has played fewer minutes.
Dembele and Oyarzabal have five goals each. Vinicius Junior, Ismaila Sarr and Julian Quinones have scored four.
| Player | Country | Goals | Assists |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 8 | 4 |
| Kylian Mbappe | France | 8 | 3 |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | 7 | 0 |
| Jude Bellingham | England | 6 | 1 |
| Harry Kane | England | 6 | 1 |
| Ousmane Dembele | France | 5 | 2 |
| Mikel Oyarzabal | Spain | 5 | 1 |
| Vinicius Junior | Brazil | 4 | 1 |
| Ismaila Sarr | Senegal | 4 | 1 |
| Julian Quinones | Mexico | 4 | 1 |
Players Still In The Golden Boot Race
Lionel Messi
Messi has scored eight goals on Argentina’s run to the World Cup final. He opened the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria before adding goals against Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt.
His four assists give him the edge over every other player if he finishes level on goals.
Argentina have one match left, giving Messi one final chance to increase his tally.
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe has matched Messi with eight goals.
He scored twice against Senegal before finding the net against Iraq, Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco.
France will play one more match after their semi-final defeat to Spain, leaving Mbappe with one last opportunity to challenge for the award.
Erling Haaland
Haaland has enjoyed a strong first World Cup campaign.
He scored twice against Iraq, struck another brace against Senegal, netted the winner against Ivory Coast and added two more against Brazil.
His seven goals keep him firmly in contention.
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham has scored in every knockout round.
He found the net against Croatia and Panama during the group stage before scoring twice against Mexico and another two against Norway.
The midfielder heads into England’s final match with six goals.
Harry Kane
Kane started the tournament with two goals against Croatia.
He later scored against Panama, struck twice against DR Congo and converted a penalty against Mexico.
Like Bellingham, he still has one game to improve his total.
How FIFA Decides The World Cup Golden Boot Winner
The player with the most goals wins the Golden Boot.
If two or more players finish level, FIFA compares assists.
If the players remain level after that, FIFA awards the Golden Boot to the player who scored those goals in fewer minutes.
Those rules settled the 2010 race when Thomas Muller finished level on goals with David Villa, Diego Forlan and Wesley Sneijder but claimed the award after recording more assists.
Previous World Cup Golden Boot Winners
The World Cup has recognised the tournament’s top scorer since 1930. FIFA later renamed the award the Golden Boot after it was previously known as the Golden Shoe.
Recent winners include:
- 2022 – Kylian Mbappe (France) – 8 goals
- 2018 – Harry Kane (England) – 6 goals
- 2014 – James Rodriguez (Colombia) – 6 goals
- 2010 – Thomas Muller (Germany) – 5 goals
- 2006 – Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 5 goals
- 2002 – Ronaldo (Brazil) – 8 goals
Just Fontaine still holds the record for the most goals at a single men’s World Cup after scoring 13 times for France in 1958.
