A Golden Boot contention for the ages has the cleanable finale - it volition spell down to the last lucifer of the tournament.
Kylian Mbappe 2 goals successful France's unthinkable 6-4 decision by England successful the third-place play-off moved him 2 goals wide of Lionel Messi, but the Argentine inactive has 1 lucifer near to respond.
And if the 39-year-old tin people doubly successful the last against Spain, helium volition instrumentality the Golden Boot by virtuousness of having much assists.
Anything little and Mbappe, 27, volition go the archetypal subordinate to scoop the prize twice.
That is earlier we adjacent notation the combat betwixt the 2 men to beryllium the World Cup's all-time scorer.
Mbappe present leads that contention connected 22 goals with Messi 1 behind.
Mbappe's treble against England took him to 10 for the tourney - the astir successful a azygous variation of the World Cup this century. The past subordinate to marque it into treble figures astatine a men's World Cup was Gerd Muller for West Germany successful 1970.
And to enactment that feat further into context, anterior to this tourney lone 8 players had scored 8 oregon much goals astatine a azygous World Cup – Muller, Just Fontaine, Sandor Kocsis, Ademir, Eusebio, Guillermo Stabile, Ronaldo and Mbappe.
The 2026 World Cup has surely been a tourney for the stars.
England talisman Jude Bellingham's extremity against France moved him into 3rd successful the Golden Boot standings connected 7 - the astir an Englishman has scored astatine a azygous World Cup.
That edged him up of Erling Haaland by virtuousness of assists, with Three Lions skipper Harry Kane 1 extremity drift alongside France's Ousmane Dembele.
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