With the 2026 World Cup nearing its conclusion, only two matches remain on the schedule. While the final between Argentina and Spain is set for Sunday, fans are also focused on the third-place playoff on Saturday, featuring France and England. Despite the upcoming clash, England manager Thomas Tuchel has expressed reservations about the fixture's significance, noting that his squad—and likely the French players as well—had their sights set firmly on the final. Tuchel remarked that none of the players truly want to participate in this match because everyone had aimed to reach the championship game.
However, the encounter remains crucial for individual honors, as goals scored during the third-place playoff are officially added to the Golden Boot standings. Four players from the two teams remain in contention for the top scorer award: Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé for France, alongside Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham for England. Mbappé currently leads the pack with eight goals, tied with Argentina's Lionel Messi, though the Argentine captain holds a slight advantage due to his assist record. Erling Haaland, who had seven goals, is no longer in the running following Norway's exit from the tournament.
The race remains tight, with England’s Bellingham and Kane each holding six goals, while France’s Dembélé and Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal trail with five. The final outcome of the Golden Boot will depend heavily on whether both teams field their strongest lineups. History shows that the third-place playoff has often been a decisive factor in this award. In 2018, England manager Gareth Southgate made five changes to his side for the match against Belgium; although Harry Kane played, he failed to score.
Several legends have secured their Golden Boot status by finding the net in this specific match, including Germany’s Thomas Müller in 2010, Croatia’s Davor Šuker in 1998, Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci in 1990, and Brazil’s Leônidas in 1938. Other notable scorers in the third-place playoff include Poland’s Grzegorz Lato in 1974, Portugal’s Eusébio in 1966, and France’s Just Fontaine in 1958. As the tournament reaches its end, the performance of the remaining contenders in the France-England match could once again prove vital in determining the top scorer of the World Cup.
