Lionel Messi failed to score in the World Cup semi-final against England. Even so, the Argentina captain moved to the top of the tournament’s scoring charts following the match.
Messi was involved in both of Argentina’s goals in their 2-1 win over England, providing assists for Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez — a contribution that moved him ahead of Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot.
Messi and Mbappé are tied on goals, with eight apiece. However, Messi has four assists compared to Mbappé’s three. When goal tallies are level, assists serve as the first tiebreaker; if assists are also tied, minutes played become the deciding factor. That combination currently puts Messi at the top of the list.
The race for the Golden Boot, however, is far from over. Messi will feature in the final against Spain, while Mbappé — whose France side was eliminated in the semi-finals — could still play in the third-place match against England. Both players therefore have at least one more opportunity to add to their goal and assist tallies.
Top Scorers at the 2026 World Cup:
- Lionel Messi, Argentina: 8 goals, 4 assists
- Kylian Mbappé, France: 8 goals, 3 assists
- Erling Haaland, Norway: 7 goals, 0 assists
- Jude Bellingham, England: 6 goals, 1 assist
- Harry Kane, England: 6 goals, 1 assist
- Ousmane Dembélé, France: 5 goals, 2 assists
With eight goals this tournament, Messi’s career World Cup goal tally now stands at 21. He has a chance to add to that total in the final against Spain, while also aiming to win the World Cup Golden Boot for the first time in his career.
