What does Lionel Messi need to do in FIFA World Cup final vs Spain to beat Kylian Mbappe and win Golden Boot?

Mbappe strengthened his claim for the top-scorer prize after scoring two goals in France’s dramatic 4-6 defeat to England in Saturday’s third-place playoff. Although Les Bleus missed out on the bronze medal, the French forward achieved a major personal milestone by surpassing Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record.

His two-goal display lifted his overall World Cup tally to 21 goals, one more than the Argentine legend, while also taking his tournament total to 10.

Having already claimed the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with eight goals, finishing ahead of Messi’s seven, Mbappe now sits in pole position to retain the honour in the 2026 edition of the tournament.