Mbappé can still make World Cup history despite France missing the final

Kylian Mbappé must settle for the consolation of facing England in the third-place playoff, but the France star still has plenty to play for, with both the Golden Boot and a slice of World Cup history still within reach.

The Real Madrid forward is tied with Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring charts with eight goals. However, the Argentina captain currently leads the race for the Golden Boot thanks to FIFA’s tiebreaker, having provided four assists compared with Mbappé’s three.

Can Mbappé still win the Golden Boot?

That means Miami presents Mbappé with one last opportunity to overtake Messi and reclaim the Golden Boot, an award he also won at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

If he does, he would become the first player in history to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice. Messi, despite his remarkable World Cup career, is still chasing the first Golden Boot of his career.

England captain Harry Kane remains an outside contender. He has six goals and previously won the award at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, although he would need a prolific performance against France to challenge the leading pair.

Mbappé is also chasing Messi’s World Cup scoring record

The Golden Boot is not the only race involving Mbappé and Messi.

The French forward is also closing in on the Argentine legend in the all-time World Cup scoring charts. Messi has scored 21 goals across six World Cups, while Mbappé sits just one behind on 20, meaning both the third-place game in Miami and the final in New York/New Jersey could reshape the historical standings.

Mbappé may no longer have a chance to lift the World Cup trophy, but adding another Golden Boot and edging closer to Messi’s scoring record would still represent a memorable finish to his tournament.

The game against the Three Lions also carries added significance as it is expected to be Didier Deschamps’ final match in charge of France. Mbappé will be determined to send his longtime coach off with a victory.

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