Kylian Mbappe's two goals in France's 6-4 thrashing of England in the third-place play-off have put him on the brink of the World Cup Golden Boot – and given Lionel Messi a final chance to prove the Frenchman wrong.
The 27-year-old Mbappe now has 10 goals for the tournament, the most in a single World Cup this century and the first time any player has reached double figures since Gerd Muller for West Germany in 1970. He leads Messi by two goals, but the Argentine has one match left: Sunday's final against Spain. If Messi scores twice, he will take the Golden Boot on assists. Anything less and Mbappe becomes the first player to win the prize twice.
“Mbappe leads Messi by two goals in Golden Boot race; Messi needs two in final to overtake.”
The race adds an extra edge to a rivalry that began when the two were teammates at Paris Saint-Germain. In September 2022, Mbappe told the New York Times: “Ronaldo, Messi — you’re gonna stop. We have to find someone else, someone new.” He also predicted he would win the 2023 Ballon d'Or, only to finish third while Messi claimed his eighth award.
Since then, fortunes have diverged. Messi, now 39 and playing for Inter Miami, is preparing for his second consecutive World Cup final after Argentina beat England in the semi-finals. “It was a special match against England, we couldn't lose,” Messi said. “I think if we had lost today, people would have come out and said some nonsense, and we didn't give them the chance.”
Mbappe, by contrast, watched the final from the sidelines after France lost to Spain in their semi-final. The forward was visibly emotional after that defeat. Now he must rely on Messi falling short to secure the Golden Boot outright.
The pair also lead the all-time World Cup scoring charts: Mbappe has 22 goals, Messi 21. Meanwhile, England's Jude Bellingham sits third in the Golden Boot standings with seven goals, the most by an Englishman at a single World Cup, ahead of Erling Haaland on assists. Harry Kane and France's Ousmane Dembele are a goal further back.
Sunday's final will decide not only the world champions but whether Messi can prove that, at 39, he is not ready to stop – and make Mbappe's words ring hollow.