India, July 19 -- And there were just two. The fight for the Golden Boot is firmly between Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, and the latter has everything to do in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final against Spain on Sunday at the New York-New Jersey Stadium. The French captain raced ahead of the Argentine superstar on Saturday owing to a brace in the third-place playoff match against England. The 39-year-old Messi has now fallen behind in the race, and he faces an uphill task in the summit clash if he is to snatch the top prize away from Mbappe.

Mbappe strengthened his claim for the top-scorer prize after scoring two goals in France's dramatic 4-6 defeat to England in Saturday's third-place playoff. Although Les Bleus missed out on the bronze m...