Kylian Mbappé has put himself in pole position to win the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after scoring twice against England in the third-place playoff, a performance that also saw him break Lionel Messi‘s all-time World Cup goalscoring record.France ultimately suffered a dramatic 6-4 defeat to England in a remarkable 10-goal thriller in Miami, but Mbappé still walked away with arguably the biggest individual achievement of the afternoon. His brace lifted him to 10 goals and four assists for the tournament, moving him clear of Messi, who heads into Sunday’s final against Spain with eight goals and four assists.The turnaround underlines why the World Cup’s third-place playoff, despite often being labelled a consolation fixture, can still have a major impact on football’s biggest individual honours.
Third-place playoff reshapes Golden Boot race
Before Saturday’s match, Messi led the Golden Boot standings.The Argentina captain had moved ahead following his outstanding semifinal display against England, producing two assists in Argentina’s 2-1 comeback victory to sit on eight goals and four assists. Mbappé, meanwhile, had eight goals and three assists after France’s semifinal defeat to Spain.With France still having one official FIFA match remaining, Mbappé had one final opportunity to overtake his long-time rival.He did exactly that.
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) scores his side’s 3rd goal during the World Cup third-place playoff soccer match between France and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
England had raced into a stunning 4-0 halftime lead through Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and a Bukayo Saka brace, leaving France facing an embarrassing defeat.Mbappé ignited the comeback three minutes after the restart, finishing confidently in the 48th minute to make it 4-1.Bradley Barcola added France’s second in the 54th minute before Mbappé struck again in the 66th minute, cutting England’s advantage to 4-3 and dramatically altering the Golden Boot race.England eventually secured third place through Saka’s penalty in the 87th minute, before Ousmane Dembélé pulled one back in stoppage time to make it 5-4. Jude Bellingham then sealed the result with a late goal to complete the 6-4 scoreline, but Mbappé’s individual achievements remained the biggest talking point.
Updated Golden Boot standings
Mbappé’s brace leaves the race looking very different heading into the World Cup final.
- Kylian Mbappé (France): 10 goals, 4 assists
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 8 goals, 4 assists
- Jude Bellingham (England): 7 goals, 1 assist
- Ousmane Dembélé (France): 6 goals, 2 assists
- Harry Kane (England): 6 goals, 1 assist
With France’s tournament now over, Mbappé’s tally is complete.Messi, however, still has one match remaining against Spain and could yet reduce or overturn the deficit in Sunday’s World Cup final.
Historic records tumble
Mbappé’s second goal carried significance well beyond the Golden Boot standings.The France captain moved onto 22 career World Cup goals, overtaking Messi to become the highest goalscorer in World Cup history.Even more remarkably, the Real Madrid forward has reached that figure in just 22 World Cup appearances, averaging exactly one goal per game. Messi had reached 21 goals after 31 appearances before adding another during Argentina’s run to this year’s final.
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates scoring his side’s third goal as England’s Jarell Quansah (26) looks on during the World Cup third-place playoff soccer match between France and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Mbappé also became the outright holder of the record for most non-penalty goals in World Cup history, moving onto 19 and surpassing Messi’s previous mark of 17.
Why the third-place playoff still matters
Saturday’s drama once again highlighted why the third-place playoff remains far more significant than many assume.Although it decides only the bronze medal, it is an official FIFA World Cup fixture, meaning every goal, assist and minute played counts towards individual awards such as the Golden Boot.History has shown how influential the match can be. France legend Just Fontaine famously scored four times in the 1958 third-place playoff against West Germany to finish with a still unmatched 13 goals at a single World Cup.In 1998, Croatia’s Davor Šuker scored the winner against the Netherlands in the bronze medal match to secure the Golden Boot with six goals.The same scenario unfolded in 2010, when Thomas Müller, David Villa, Wesley Sneijder and Diego Forlán all finished on five goals. Müller scored in Germany’s 3-2 victory over Uruguay in the third-place playoff, while Forlán also found the net in that match, but Müller claimed the Golden Boot because his three assists gave him the edge over the other contenders.The 2026 edition has now produced another defining moment in the race.Thanks to two goals in the 48th and 66th minutes against England, Mbappé has transformed the standings, taking control of the Golden Boot race while simultaneously becoming the most prolific goalscorer the World Cup has ever seen.Only Messi, with one final match left to play against Spain, now has the chance to deny him both honours.
