World Cup Golden Boot race hots up as Mbappe equals Messi’s 6 with Sweden brace

Samira Vishwas

Tezzbuzz|01-07-2026

Kylian Mbappe reasserted his place alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race on Tuesday (June 30), striking twice against Sweden in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.

Also read: FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32: Full match schedules in IST

The France star’s brace means both he and Messi have six goals each in the tournament. While the Europeans booked a berth in the Round of 16 by thrashing Sweden 3-0, Argentina will take on Cape Verde in their Round of 32 clash in Miami, the United States, on Friday (July 3).

Erling Haaland scores his 5th

The Golden Boot rankings saw another progress on Tuesday when Norway striker Erling Haaland scored his team’s winner against an energetic Ivory Coast in Arlington, the USA. The 25-year-old, who missed the game against France in the group stage, now has five goals.

FIFA World Cup Golden Boot race: After June 30 matches

♦ Lionel Messi (Argentina) 6 goals

Vinicius, Dembele have 4 each

Brazilian Vinicius Junior and French Ousmane Dembele have four goals each so far. Brazil, who defeated Japan 2-1 in the Round of 32, will take on Norway in East Rutherford on July 5, while France will face Paraguay, who shocked Germany, in Philadelphia a day before.

Also read: No ordinary defeat: How early World Cup exits have ignited chaos, fury at home

All the top five scorers will get more opportunities to improve their tallies as their teams are alive in the tournament.

Thirteen players have scored three goals so far. Twenty-three, including Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo, have two, while 109 have one to their credit.

Who gets the Golden Boot?

The Golden Boot will be awarded to the player who scores the maximum goals in the tournament. If two or more players score the same number of goals, the number of assists (as determined by the members of the FIFA Technical Study Group) shall be decisive. If names still cannot be separated, the total minutes played in the tournament will be considered, with the player who appeared for fewer minutes ranked before the others.

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