Lionel Messi has moved to the top of the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot after inspiring Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England in the semi-finals. The Argentine captain provided two crucial assists to help the defending champions book their place in a second consecutive World Cup final.
Messi and France captain Kylian Mbappé entered the semi-finals level on eight goals, but neither found the net in the last-four matches. Instead, Messi’s all-round contribution proved decisive, allowing him to move ahead on FIFA’s official Golden Boot tiebreak criteria.
With Argentina trailing 1-0 late in the match, Messi set up Enzo Fernández for the equaliser in the 85th minute before delivering another precise cross for Lautaro Martínez, who headed home the winner in stoppage time. The two assists took Messi’s tournament total to four, giving him the edge over Mbappé despite both players remaining tied on eight goals.
The Golden Boot race, however, is still open. France and England will face each other in the third-place playoff, giving Mbappé, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham one final opportunity to improve their goal tallies. Mbappé remains Messi’s closest challenger, while Kane and Bellingham would need multiple goals to close the gap.
Messi’s campaign has been defined by remarkable consistency. The 39-year-old has directly contributed to 12 goals during the tournament, scoring eight times and providing four assists as Argentina defended their world title challenge.
The semi-final also saw Messi extend his place in the record books. His two assists took his World Cup career assist tally to 12, the most by any player since detailed tournament records began in 1966. He also extended his streak of scoring or assisting in 13 consecutive World Cup matches, another unprecedented achievement.
Argentina will now face Spain in the World Cup final, where Messi has the chance to add to both his individual tally and Argentina’s quest for another world title. A goal or assist in the final would further strengthen his position in the Golden Boot race.
Although the standings could still change depending on the third-place playoff, Messi enters the final as the favourite to finish as the tournament’s leading scorer and cap another historic World Cup campaign with yet another individual honour.
