Messi Leads Golden Boot Race with Two Assists in Semifinal Victory
Lionel Messi has surpassed France’s Kylian Mbappe in assists to claim the top spot among the tournament’s leading scorers. The Argentine captain provided two assists in the semifinal against England, securing the lead in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot competition. By defeating England in the semifinal, Argentina has reached the World Cup final for the second consecutive time. Messi has now set a new record by playing 33 World Cup matches, scoring 21 goals, and providing 11 assists.
In the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals, Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi assisted twice against England, propelling him to the top of the Golden Boot standings. The second semifinal, held on Thursday morning at Atlanta Stadium in the United States, saw Argentina come back to defeat England 2-1, with Messi assisting both goals. Playing a crucial role in guiding Argentina to their second consecutive final and defending their title, Messi has emerged as a leading contender for individual awards.
Although Messi did not score against England, his two assists allowed him to overtake Kylian Mbappe in the assist count, moving ahead in the list of top scorers. Both Messi and Mbappe have scored 8 goals each across 7 matches. However, Messi has 4 assists compared to Mbappe’s 3. France, captained by Mbappe, was eliminated from the World Cup after losing to Spain in the semifinals. France will now compete against England for third place.
With one match remaining, Mbappe still has a chance to claim the Golden Boot. Other challengers are not close to Messi’s tally. Norway’s Erling Haaland, who is third with 7 goals, has been eliminated from the tournament. England’s top scorers, captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, both have 6 goals but their Golden Boot hopes ended with their semifinal loss to Argentina.
Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal, finalists and currently seventh on the top scorers list with 5 goals, must score in the final to meet Messi’s tally. Otherwise, Messi is highly likely to become the highest scorer. If no other player surpasses him, Messi will win the Golden Boot award for the first time in his World Cup career. Having won the FIFA World Cup in 2022, Messi has also twice won the Golden Ball award.
Messi first won the Golden Ball award in 2014 after leading Argentina to the final with outstanding performances. He claimed the award again in 2022 upon winning the World Cup, becoming the first and only player to win the Golden Ball twice. Now, by taking Argentina to the final again in this tournament, Messi is once more a prime candidate for the Golden Ball. At age 39, he aims to secure Argentina’s World Cup title for the second time in 64 years, continuing to display the same passion and form. He has set records for scoring in nine consecutive World Cup matches and netting goals in six straight knockout round games. Additionally, Messi holds multiple records in this World Cup, including most matches played, most goals scored, and most assists provided. To date, he has played 33 World Cup matches with 21 goals and 11 assists—the most assists by any player in World Cup history.