New Delhi, 10 July (H.S.): The race for the Golden Boot at the FIFA World Cup 2026 has intensified as the tournament enters its decisive phase, with France securing a place in the semi-finals after defeating Morocco. The battle for the award presented to the tournament's highest goal-scorer has become increasingly competitive.

France's star striker Kylian Mbappé continues to lead the standings with eight goals and three assists.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has also scored eight goals but occupies second place due to having only one assist. Norway's Erling Haaland is third with seven goals.

England captain Harry Kane is fourth with six goals and one assist, while France winger Ousmane Dembélé occupies fifth place with five goals and two assists.

Several other players remain firmly in contention. Senegal's Ismaïla Sarr, Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal, Mexico's Julián Quiñones, England's Jude Bellingham, and Brazil's Vinícius Júnior have each scored four goals and registered one assist, making the race for the Golden Boot even more intriguing following the quarter-final stage.

According to FIFA regulations, if two or more players finish with the same number of goals, the Golden Boot winner is determined first by the number of assists. If the tie still remains, the player who has played fewer minutes during the tournament is awarded the honour.

With the semi-finals approaching, the battle for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot is set to become even more exciting.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar