Lionel Messi has emerged as the leading contender for the adidas Golden Boot and climbed to the top of FIFA’s Creativity Power Rankings ahead of Sunday’s 2026 World Cup final against Spain.
FIFA released the updated rankings and Golden Boot standings on Thursday following the conclusion of the semi-finals.
The Argentina captain leads the Golden Boot race with eight goals and four assists, edging France’s Kylian Mbappe, who also has eight goals but only three assists.
Under FIFA’s rules, assists serve as the first tiebreaker when players finish level on goals.
Mbappe will have one final opportunity to improve his tally in Saturday’s third-place play-off against England, and Messi against Spain.
Norway’s Erling Haaland is third in the Golden Boot standings with seven goals despite his team’s quarter-final exit, while England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane share fourth place with six goals each.
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Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal is the highest-ranked finalist after Messi, sitting seventh with five goals and one assist.
In FIFA’s Power Rankings, Messi moved five places to the top of the Creativity category after providing two assists in Argentina’s 2-1 semi-final victory over England.
He displaced France’s Michael Olise, while Belgium’s Jeremy Doku, Mbappe and England’s Anthony Gordon completed the top five.
Messi also closed the gap on Mbappe in the Attacking rankings, where the France forward leads with a rating of 8.93, ahead of the Argentine captain on 8.63 and England’s Bellingham on 8.22.
adidas Golden Boot standings
FIFA Power Rankings – Attacking
FIFA Power Rankings – Creativity
FIFA Power Rankings – Defending
Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa retained top spot in the “Defending the Goal” category, while England’s Jordan Pickford continued to lead the “In Possession” rankings ahead of Spain’s Unai Simon.
Saheed is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over two years of experience covering metro, technology, sports, politics, and human-interest stories. He focuses on producing clear, engaging reports across diverse beats. Saheed’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate and balanced journalism.
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Source: The Punch
