Despite producing a breathtaking World Cup campaign in which he scored eight goals and added three assists across France's first six matches, Kylian Mbappe was silenced when it mattered most. Spain shut down the French captain completely in Tuesday's semifinal in Dallas, ending both his influence and France's bid for a third successive World Cup final.
France's Kylian Mbappe looks dejected after the match (REUTERS)
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For a side that arrived with the tournament's most feared attacking quartet, France barely threatened. They managed just three shots on target, with their first not arriving until the 81st minute. Mbappe, remarkably, failed to register a single shot on target for only the second time in his World Cup career. The first came in the 2022 quarter-final against England, a match France still won 2-1.
France's title hopes may be over, but Mbappe's pursuit of the Golden Boot remains alive.
The 27-year-old still has one match left, Saturday's third-place playoff in Miami against the loser of the England-Argentina semifinal, giving him one final opportunity to add to his tally of eight goals.
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The 27-year-old still has one match left, Saturday's third-place playoff in Miami against the loser of the England-Argentina semifinal, giving him one final opportunity to add to his tally of eight goals.
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However, the race is far from over.
Lionel Messi is level with Mbappe on eight goals but trails him because of having two assists in the tournament. England duo Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham remain firmly in contention as well with six goals each, and unlike Mbappe, both are guaranteed two more matches should England defeat Argentina on Wednesday.
Updated Golden Boot race after Spain vs France
That makes the third-place playoff unusually significant in the race for the Golden Boot.
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The last time the consolation match played such a decisive role was in 1958, when France legend Just Fontaine scored four goals against West Germany to finish with a still-unmatched record of 13 goals in a single World Cup.
Mbappe will be looking to win his second straight Golden Boot award, having achieved it in 2022 with seven goals. Kane, too, won it in 2018. Messi has yet to claim that award.
There is another landmark within Mbappe's reach.
His quiet evening against Spain meant he remained on 20 World Cup goals from just 21 appearances, leaving him only one behind Lionel Messi's all-time tally of 21. With age firmly on his side and potentially two more World Cups ahead, the French captain has every chance of rewriting football's biggest scoring record in the years to come.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Sports/Football/France are out, Kylian Mbappe isn't: How the Golden Boot race stands after Spain end Les Bleus' World Cup dream
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