FIFA World Cup Golden Boot race: Kylian Mbappe joins Lionel Messi at the top

Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi (AP Photo)

Kylian Mbappe underlined why he remains one of football's biggest match-winners, scoring twice as France eased past Sweden 3-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 to draw level with Lionel Messi at the top of the tournament's Golden Boot standings.The France captain now has six goals in the tournament, matching Argentina superstar Messi, while also extending his remarkable World Cup legacy. Mbappe's brace at MetLife Stadium took his overall World Cup tally to 18 goals in just 18 appearances, leaving him only one behind Messi's all-time record of 19.France's dominant victory also set up a Round of 16 clash against surprise package Paraguay as Didier Deschamps' side continued its march towards a third successive World Cup final.

Golden Boot battle heats up

With the knockout rounds gathering pace, the Golden Boot race has become one of the tournament's biggest talking points.Top five scorers:

Kylian Mbappe (France) – 6 goals

Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 6 goals

Erling Haaland (Norway) – 5 goals

Ousmane Dembélé (France) – 4 goals

Vinícius Júnior (Brazil) – 4 goals

Mbappe's latest double also saw him become the outright highest scorer in World Cup knockout history with 10 goals, surpassing Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Leônidas.Despite climbing alongside Messi in the scoring charts, the France skipper insisted individual milestones remain secondary to lifting the trophy.

"I think the goal, as I said, is to go as far as possible - to make it to July 19 and come back here," Mbappe said. "We're trying to win; we're taking it one step at a time. Of course, the more goals you score, the higher you climb in the rankings."

‘I don't focus too much on that’

With their captain in red-hot form, Les Bleus became the first nation in World Cup history to score at least three goals in five consecutive matches.The 27-year-old dismissed comparisons with Messi in the race for World Cup records."I'm also convinced that Leo is going to score more goals, so I don't focus too much on that. I'm more focused on the opponents we might face and how close we're getting to our goal: the final," he said.France have now outscored opponents 13-2 at the tournament, while Mbappe's red-hot form has turned the Golden Boot race into a fascinating duel with Messi as the World Cup enters its decisive phase.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Top-Scorers: Beyond the Top 5

Three goals each: Deniz Undav (Germany), Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), Julian Quinones (Mexico), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Brian Brobbery (Netherlands), Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Harry Kane (England), Elijah Just (New Zealand), Yoane Wissa (Cabo Verde), Jonathan David (Canada), Ismail Saibari (Morocco) and Kai Havertz (Germany)