The match that could still decide the Golden Boot

The race to become the top scorer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is not over yet for the players who were eliminated in the semifinals.

Although France and England can no longer win the title, their biggest stars will have one final opportunity to improve their totals when they meet in the third-place match.

The game will not only determine which team finishes on the podium. It could also produce a decisive change in the Golden Boot race.

The goals still count

All goals scored during the third-place match are included in the World Cup’s official statistics and count toward the top scorers’ standings.

The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals during the tournament. This includes the group-stage matches and every knockout round, including the bronze-medal game.

For that reason, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham will still have the chance to improve their totals during the meeting between France and England.

Mbappé will enter the match with eight goals, the same number as Lionel Messi, while Kane and Bellingham have six each. Even Dembélé, who has five, could still spring a surprise.

Mbappé’s advantage

The third-place match will be played before the final between Argentina and Spain, meaning Mbappé will have the opportunity to move provisionally ahead in the standings.

The French forward could overtake Messi before the Argentina captain plays in the title match. However, La Albiceleste will still have the final say when they face Spain.

The race is even tighter because Messi and Mbappé enter their final matches level on eight goals. The Argentine holds a favorable position thanks to his assists, one of the criteria FIFA uses to break ties.

How is a tie for the Golden Boot decided?

The first tiebreaker is the number of assists recorded by each player during the tournament.

If the players are also level in that category, the total number of minutes played is taken into account. In that scenario, the player who needed fewer minutes to score their goals is ranked higher.

The criteria are applied in the following order:

1. Most goals scored.
2. Most assists.
3. Fewest minutes played.

Has the third-place match decided Golden Boots before?

At Italy 1990, Salvatore Schillaci scored against England and finished the tournament with six goals, enough to secure the individual award.

A similar situation occurred at France 1998, when Davor Šuker scored against the Netherlands and claimed the Golden Boot with six goals.

These precedents show that the third-place match can have a much greater impact than it may initially appear.

The third-place game could therefore become the setting for one final twist before Argentina and Spain bring the tournament to a close and the 2026 World Cup’s top scorer is officially confirmed.