Kylian Mbappé made it FIFA World Cup history by becoming the first player to win the Golden Boot in two consecutive tournaments after finishing as the top scorer in the 2026 edition. Lionel Messi in one of the closest races the tournament has seen.The French captain finished with 10 goals in eight games, while also providing four assists to claim the tournament’s top scorer award. His closest rival, Argentina captain Lionel Messi, finished the World Cup with eight goals and four assists after failing to find the back of the net in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the final.Messi went into the show knowing he needed a hat-trick to overtake Mbappé after the Frenchman struck twice as France lost 6-4 to England in Saturday’s third-leg final. Instead, Spain’s midfield, led by Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, kept the Argentina captain quiet as La Roja lifted their second World Cup title.
Mbappé’s bronze medal game changed the competition
The race for the Golden Boot looked set to come to an end when Messi took a narrow lead following Argentina’s victory over England.Although both stars had eight goals at the time, Messi’s four assists put him ahead of Mbappé, who had three, under FIFA rules.Everything changed in the third round.France found themselves trailing England 4-0 at the break before Mbappé returned, striking in the 48th and 66th minutes to take his tally to 10 goals. These two strikes not only moved him level with Messi on the goalscoring charts but also saw him overtake the Argentinian as the leading scorer in the men’s World Cup with 22 goals.England won the tournament in a stunning 6-4, but Mbappé’s performance ensured that they went into the final day of the competition to pick up another Golden Boot.
Messi was unable to raise one final goal
All eyes were on the World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium.Argentina needed inspiration from Messi against a Spanish side that conceded just once in the entire game, but Luis de la Fuente’s men produced one of the best defensive performances of the tournament.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) cries at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Rodri dominated the midfield, as Spain kept Argentina from getting shots on target at all times. Messi struggled to change the situation and finished the game without adding a goal or assist.Spain eventually won 1-0 after extra time to end Argentina’s reign as world champions.The results also confirmed Mbappé as the winner of the Golden Boot, while Messi finished second after another excellent World Cup campaign that saw eight goals and four assists.
Another chapter in Mbappé’s incredible World Cup career
The award further cemented Mbappé’s incredible reputation at football’s biggest stage.After winning the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022 with eight goals, the Real Madrid player returned four years later to score another 10, becoming the first player to take the honor in consecutive World Cups.The result also made him the first player to reach two goals in a single World Cup since German legend Gerd Müller scored 10 goals in 1970.Only France’s Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in 1958, and Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis, who scored 11 goals in 1954, have achieved more goals in one World Cup.Across the 2018, 2022 and 2026 editions, Mbappé has now scored 22 World Cup goals in just 22 games, surpassing Messi as the all-time leading scorer for men at the competition.Other players also excelled in the Golden Boot competition, including England’s Harry Kane, who scored six goals, and Norway’s Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland, who finished with seven goals, both among the game’s top scorers.
The ultimate honor of the individual
While Mbappé took home the Golden Boot, Spain took control of the rest of the trophy.Rodri was named the winner of the adidas Golden Ball after dominating Spain’s players throughout the competition, leading to a superb display in the final. The Manchester City midfielder finished the tournament with a record 694 World Cup caps and was named the tournament’s best player ahead of Messi, Mbappé and England’s Jude Bellingham.Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón took home the Golden Glove after scoring one goal in eight games and keeping seven clean sheets in La Roja’s win.Even though Messi missed out on the World Cup and Golden Boot which would have been the last of football’s biggest competition, his campaign remained one of the best ever. The Argentina captain directly contributed to 12 goals through eight appearances and four assists as he led the defending champions to their second consecutive World Cup final.However, this time the competition belonged to Mbappé.With a 10-goal campaign, another golden boot and sole possession of the World Cup’s all-time goalscorer, the France captain has yet again explained why he remains one of the greatest players of his generation.