·4d ago
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World Cup 2026: Who Wins the Golden Boot?
Before the tournament, ESPN asked 19 writers to predict the Golden Boot winner. Seven picked Mbappé. Four picked Kane. Three picked Haaland. One picked Messi.
Four games from the end, Haaland is gone. Messi and Mbappé are both on 8. That one writer who backed the 39-year-old is looking very smart right now.
The Golden Boot Race — active players only
Kylian Mbappé 🇫🇷 8 goals 3 assists — leads on tiebreaker
Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 8 goals 2 assists
Harry Kane 🏴 6 goals 1 assist
Jude Bellingham 🏴 6 goals 1 assist
Ousmane Dembélé 🇫🇷 5 goals 2 assists
( FIFA uses assists as tiebreaker. Mbappé leads Messi by one assist. )
Mbappé has 20 World Cup goals in 20 appearances.
Messi is doing things that shouldn't be possible. ESPN described his tournament as "frankly absurd", nine goal contributions at 39. He missed two penalties and still leads the race. He has scored in nine straight World Cup appearances.
The semifinal paths
France vs Spain (July 15) — Spain have conceded one goal in seven games and are built to kill the kind of space Mbappé exploits. If France get rhythm, he scores.
England vs Argentina (July 15) — Kane and Bellingham share a semifinal with Messi, meaning the race could tighten from both sides in the same game. Argentina's defense has leaked in every knockout round.
The honest take
Mbappé is the favorite, better form, better team, holds the tiebreaker. Messi needs one goal to level on assists or two to pull ahead outright. If he reaches the final, he scores. Kane and Bellingham are two back and can't be ruled out if the match opens up.
Yahoo Sports put it simply: "Messi has never won the Golden Boot. This is almost certainly his last chance."
——————————————————————————
💬 Who do you think wins the Golden Boot, and who are you backing?
Mbappé | Messi | Kane | Bellingham
Drop your pick below. 👇
Before the tournament, ESPN asked 19 writers to predict the Golden Boot winner. Seven picked Mbappé. Four picked Kane. Three picked Haaland. One picked Messi.
Four games from the end, Haaland is gone. Messi and Mbappé are both on 8. That one writer who backed the 39-year-old is looking very smart right now.
The Golden Boot Race — active players only
Kylian Mbappé 🇫🇷 8 goals 3 assists — leads on tiebreaker
Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 8 goals 2 assists
Harry Kane 🏴 6 goals 1 assist
Jude Bellingham 🏴 6 goals 1 assist
Ousmane Dembélé 🇫🇷 5 goals 2 assists
( FIFA uses assists as tiebreaker. Mbappé leads Messi by one assist. )
Mbappé has 20 World Cup goals in 20 appearances.
Messi is doing things that shouldn't be possible. ESPN described his tournament as "frankly absurd", nine goal contributions at 39. He missed two penalties and still leads the race. He has scored in nine straight World Cup appearances.
The semifinal paths
France vs Spain (July 15) — Spain have conceded one goal in seven games and are built to kill the kind of space Mbappé exploits. If France get rhythm, he scores.
England vs Argentina (July 15) — Kane and Bellingham share a semifinal with Messi, meaning the race could tighten from both sides in the same game. Argentina's defense has leaked in every knockout round.
The honest take
Mbappé is the favorite, better form, better team, holds the tiebreaker. Messi needs one goal to level on assists or two to pull ahead outright. If he reaches the final, he scores. Kane and Bellingham are two back and can't be ruled out if the match opens up.
Yahoo Sports put it simply: "Messi has never won the Golden Boot. This is almost certainly his last chance."
——————————————————————————
💬 Who do you think wins the Golden Boot, and who are you backing?
Mbappé | Messi | Kane | Bellingham
Drop your pick below. 👇
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