The Economic Times

FIFA World Cup Golden Boot 2026: Third-place playoff reshapes race as Lionel Messi falls behind

FIFA world cup golden boot 2026: Kylian Mbappe became the World Cup's all-time leading scorer and moved ahead of Lionel Messi. He scored twice in France's 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff. Mbappe's brace took his tournament tally to ten goals, two more than Messi's eight. England built a commanding 4-0 first-half lead before France mounted a comeback. Despite a strong second-half effort, England secured the bronze medal with a 6-4 victory.