Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi is confirmed to return to the field on Friday. His participation is seen as a decisive step in the race for the Golden Boot. Argentina will face Cape Verde at the World Cup. Messi has already scored six goals in this tournament, tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé. For now, Mbappé leads the Golden Boot race since he also has two assists along with his six goals.
Other Contenders
Erling Haaland (Norway) and Harry Kane (England) have five goals each.
Ousmane Dembele, Mikel Oyarzabal, Vinicius Junior, and Ismaila Sarr have four goals each. However, Senegal has already been eliminated, ruling Sarr out of contention.
Messi’s Historic Performance
Messi has scored in his last seven consecutive World Cup matches — a feat no male player has ever achieved. He has netted 11 goals in those games, bringing his career total to 19, the most in World Cup history, one ahead of Mbappé.
Messi’s Golden Boot Goal
Despite his record, Messi has never won the Golden Boot. In 2022, he finished second with seven goals, one behind Mbappé. In 2014, he tied for third with four goals.
Tiebreak Rules
If multiple players finish with the same number of goals, FIFA will use assists as the first tiebreaker and fewest minutes played as the second. Currently, Mbappé holds the edge over Messi with two assists.
