East Rutherford, New Jersey: Lionel Messi may face a difficult task in catching Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot, but the Argentina captain remains the leading candidate to claim another Golden Ball as the best player of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Messi heads into Sunday's final against Spain with eight goals, two behind Mbappé after the France forward scored twice in his side's 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff.Mbappé's 10-goal haul makes him the clear favourite for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament's top scorer. The France star also became the first player to reach double figures in a World Cup since Germany's Gerd Müller scored 10 goals at the 1970 tournament.Messi, however, is strongly positioned to win a record-extending third Golden Ball after leading Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final at the age of 39."He is the history. He is the legend," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.The Argentine superstar is already the only player to have won the Golden Ball more than once, having claimed the award in 2014 and again in 2022.Alongside the Golden Boot and Golden Ball, FIFA will also present the Golden Glove for the tournament's best goalkeeper and the Best Young Player Award.Spain have strong contenders for both honours. Goalkeeper Unai Simón has conceded just one goal in seven matches, while 19-year-old Yamine Lamal has emerged as one of the tournament's standout young stars.Messi has won virtually every major honour in football, including a record eight Ballon d'Or awards, but has never finished a World Cup as its leading scorer.Should he overtake Mbappé and help Argentina lift the trophy, Messi would become the first Golden Boot winner to represent the World Cup champions since Brazil's Ronaldo achieved the feat in 2002.The winners of the Golden Ball, Golden Glove and Best Young Player awards are selected by members of the media from a shortlist prepared by FIFA's Technical Study Group.
