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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Tom Cavilla

Who is winning the World Cup Golden Boot race and what happens if players are tied on goals?

Ahead of Sunday's meeting between Argentina and France, it is not only the World Cup trophy that is at stake.

Tied on five goals apiece, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe remain in the hunt for the Golden Boot. but something has to give as the PSG pair battle it out for this accolade.

Following closely behind are two players who will also be involved in Sunday's showdown: French forward Olivier Giroud and Argentina's Julian Alvarez. The duo have both found the back of the net four times during the competition, leaving them one goal behind their respective international team-mates Mbappe and Messi.

But what will happen if Mbappe, Messi, Giroud or Alvarez finish the World Cup tied on goals? Luckily, there are a predetermined set of rules to dictate who will claim the Golden Boot, as explained below.

What is the criteria to determine who wins the award?

The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals throughout the tournament. If two individuals cannot be separated in this department, the one with the greater number of assists will prevail. Should there still be nothing to split them, whoever has played the fewest minutes at the 2022 World Cup will come out on top.

Current standings in the Golden Boot battle

Lionel Messi (Argentina): 5 goals, 3 assists. 570 minutes played

Kylian Mbappe (France): 5 goals, 2 assists. 477 minutes played

Julian Alvarez (Argentina): 4 goals, 0 assists. 364 minutes played

Olivier Giroud (France): 4 goals, 0 assists. 383 minutes played

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