Made by Kylian Mbappé 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 competition has seen.The France captain finished with 10 goals in eight games, while also providing four assists, to claim the tournament’s top scorer award. His closest challenger, Argentina captain Lionel Messi, finished the World Cup with eight goals and four assists after failing to find the net in Sunday’s 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the final.Messi went into the showpiece knowing he needed a hat-trick to overtake Mbappé after the Frenchman scored twice in France’s dramatic 6-4 defeat by England in Saturday’s third-place playoff. However, Spain’s disciplined midfield, led by Golden Ball winner Rodri, kept the Argentina captain quiet as La Roja lifted their second World Cup title.
Mbappé’s bronze medal game changed the race
The race for the Golden Boot appears set to go down to the final after Messi took a brief lead following Argentina’s semifinal win over England.Although the two stars are level on eight goals in that period, Messi’s four assists put him ahead of Mbappé, who has three, under FIFA tiebreak rules.That all changed in the third place playoff.France found themselves trailing England 4-0 at halftime before Mbappé sparked an unlikely comeback, scoring in the 48th and 66th minutes to take his tournament tally to 10 goals. Those two strikes not only moved him away from Messi in the scoring charts but also saw him overtake the Argentine as the World Cup’s leading scorer with 22 career goals.England eventually won the extraordinary competition 6-4, but Mbappé’s individual achievements ensured that he would go into the final day of the tournament in pole position for another Golden Boot.
Messi was unable to mount a final charge
All eyes immediately turned to the World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium.Argentina will need inspiration from Messi against a Spain side that has won just once in the entire tournament, but Luis de la Fuente’s men produced one of the most complete defensive performances of the competition.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) cries at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, NJ, near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Rodri dominated the midfield, as Spain held Argentina to no shots on target in regular time. Messi struggled to influence proceedings and finished the game without adding to his goal or assist tally.Spain eventually secured a 1-0 victory after extra time to end Argentina’s reign as world champions.The result also confirmed Mbappé as the winner of the Golden Boot, with Messi finishing second after another outstanding World Cup campaign that produced eight goals and four assists.
Another chapter in Mbappé’s remarkable World Cup career
The award further cements Mbappé’s incredible record on football’s biggest stage.After winning the Golden Boot at Qatar 2022 with eight goals, the Real Madrid forward returned four years later to score 10 more, becoming the first player to earn the honor in consecutive World Cups.His tally also made him the first player to reach double figures in a World Cup since German legend Gerd Müller scored 10 goals in 1970.Only Just Fontaine of France, who scored 13 goals in 1958, and Sándor Kocsis of Hungary, who scored 11 in 1954, have scored more goals in a World Cup tournament.Across the 2018, 2022 and 2026 editions, Mbappé has now scored 22 World Cup goals in just 22 appearances, overtaking Messi to become the competition’s leading men’s scorer.Other players also featured prominently in the race for the Golden Boot, including Harry Kane of England, who scored six goals, as well as Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland of Norway, who both finished with seven goals, all of whom were among the top scorers during the tournament.
Final individual award:
While Mbappé collected the Golden Boot, Spain dominated the rest of the individual awards after lifting the trophy.Rodri was named the adidas Golden Ball winner after dominating Spain’s midfield throughout the tournament, culminating in a masterful performance in the final. The Manchester City midfielder finished the competition with a World Cup record 694 completed passes and was named the tournament’s best player ahead of Messi, Mbappé and England’s Jude Bellingham.Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón claimed the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal in eight games and keeping seven clean sheets during La Roja’s title-winning campaign.Although Messi is missing out on the World Cup trophy and the Golden Boot in what could be his final appearance at football’s biggest tournament, his campaign remains one of the competition’s best. The Argentina captain directly contributed to 12 goals with eight strikes and four assists while leading the defending champions to their second straight World Cup final.This time, however, the tournament belongs to Mbappé.With a record-breaking 10-goal campaign, another Golden Boot and a place alone at the top of the all-time World Cup scoring charts, the France captain has once again underlined why he remains one of the defining players of his generation.