World Cup 2022: Who'll win Golden Boot if both Mbappe & Lionel Messi stay tied on 5 goals?

The FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Argentina and France not only promises to be a cracking nail-biting contest between the two teams but also in the golden boot race between Argentine captain Lionel Messi and French forward Kylian Mbappe. The two star-studded footballers are currently tied on five goals each, with both Olivier Giroud (France) and Julian Alvarez (Argentina) just a goal behind.

4-way battle in FIFA World Cup 2022 golden boot race

The FIFA World Cup 2022 golden boot race is likely to be a four-way battle at most between Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, and Julian Alvarez, with all other players no longer having any games left or being far away from these four when it comes to the total number of goals scored. Other than these four players, no other Argentina or France player has scored more than one goal in this year's FIFA World Cup.

In the scenario that players like Mbappe and Messi for example finish level on the number of goals scored, then the FIFA World Cup 2022 golden boot would be handed on the basis of assists provided. And if that is tied too, then the final criterion is whoever has played fewer minutes in the tournament. As things stand, Messi (3) has the highest number of assists among the four followed by Mbappe (2), while the other two have not provided any assists.

With Giroud and Alvarez behind both Messi and Mbappe both in terms of goals scored and assists provided, the FIFA World Cup 2022 golden boot battle could indeed just be a two-way fight between the Argentine captain and the 23-year-old French forward. Since Mbappe has played fewer minutes than Messi because of being taken off just after 23 minutes against Tunisia, he would win the golden boot if the two finish level on both goals scored and assists provided.

While both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe would be keen on winning the golden boot, they would also have history on their minds. On the one hand, Messi would be looking to win the FIFA World Cup for the first time in his glittering career, while on the other hand, Mbappe will be looking to become the first footballer since Pele in 1962 to win his first two World Cups.