Kylian Mbappe just rocketed two goals past England in France’s wild 6-4 defeat in the third-place play-off, launching him two goals clear in the Golden Boot race. This whole tournament has been absolutely bonkers, and now it’s all coming down to one final match. Lionel Messi, at 39 years old, is sitting one goal behind Mbappe in the all-time World Cup scoring chase and needs a huge performance in the final to claim the Golden Boot, too.
The Golden Boot Goes Down to the Wire
This Golden Boot race is pure electricity, the kind that makes you chew your nails off. Mbappe’s double against England pushed him to 10 goals for the tournament. Messi, with one match left against Spain, has to score twice in that final to swipe the Golden Boot. Why two? Because if they tie on goals, Messi would win by virtue of having more assists. If he doesn’t hit that mark, Mbappe, at just 27, bags the prize for the second time. Can you imagine the pressure? It’s all or nothing for Messi.
Mbappe Rewrites the History Books
Forget the Golden Boot for a second; Mbappe is straight-up obliterating World Cup history. His 10 goals this tournament are the most any player has scored in a single edition this century. You have to go all the way back to 1970 to find someone with double figures in a men’s World Cup, and that was Gerd Muller for West Germany. Think about that: 56 years! Before this tournament, only eight players had ever hit eight or more goals in a single World Cup: Muller, Just Fontaine, Sandor Kocsis, Ademir, Eusebio, Guillermo Stabile, Ronaldo, and Mbappe himself. Now he’s done it again, but bigger. And the all-time scoring fight? Mbappe now leads with 22 World Cup goals, Messi is right there with 21. That’s a legend-defining battle playing out right before our eyes.
Bellingham Shines for England
It hasn’t just been the Messi-Mbappe show, though. This World Cup has been a stage for the stars. England’s Jude Bellingham, with his goal against France, moved into third in the Golden Boot standings with seven goals. That’s the most any Englishman has ever scored in a single World Cup, edging out Erling Haaland on assists. Three Lions captain Harry Kane is right there with seven goals, too, alongside France’s Ousmane Dembele. What a tournament for goal scorers!
So, the stage is set. Messi faces Spain in the final with everything on the line: the Golden Boot, the all-time scoring record, and arguably his legacy against the young phenom. You do NOT want to miss this one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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