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France captain Kylian Mbappe remains firmly in contention for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot, with goals scored in the third-place playoff counting toward the tournament’s top scorer award.
The rule means Mbappe, along with France teammate Ousmane Dembele and England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, still have a chance to boost their goal tallies despite their teams’ semi-final exits.
France and England meet in the third-place playoff on Saturday, one day before Spain take on Argentina in the World Cup final.
Mbappe is currently level with Argentina captain Lionel Messi on eight goals. However, Messi leads the Golden Boot standings because he has provided one more assist than the French star.
Norway’s Erling Haaland sits third with seven goals but cannot add to his tally after Norway’s quarter-final elimination.
England’s Kane and Bellingham have scored six goals each, while France winger Dembele and Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal have five.
The Golden Boot race could hinge on team selections for Saturday’s playoff, as both France and England may rotate their squads after losing in the semi-finals.
History shows the third-place match can be decisive in determining the tournament’s top scorer. Seven previous Golden Boot winners scored in the playoff, with four of them securing the award thanks to goals in that match.
Germany’s Thomas Muller (2010), Croatia’s Davor Suker (1998), Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci (1990) and Brazil’s Leonidas (1938) all clinched the Golden Boot after scoring in the third-place playoff.
Poland’s Grzegorz Lato (1974), Portugal legend Eusebio (1966) and France’s Just Fontaine (1958) also found the net in the bronze-medal match, although they had already done enough to secure the Golden Boot.
