Kylian Mbappé added another remarkable chapter to his already glittering career by winning the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot, becoming the first player in history to claim the tournament’s top scorer award twice.
The France and Real Madrid forward also became the all-time leading scorer in men’s World Cup history after another prolific campaign.
Mbappé finished the 2026 FIFA World Cup with 10 goals and four assists, comfortably securing the Golden Boot after Lionel Messi failed to score in Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the final.
The French striker reclaimed the award after scoring twice against England in the third-place playoff. Although France eventually lost 6-4 to the Three Lions and finished fourth, Mbappé’s two goals proved decisive in the Golden Boot race.
Having also won the award at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the 27-year-old became the first footballer ever to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice.
World Cup’s all-time leading scorer
Mbappé’s outstanding tournament also saw him become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, taking his career tally to 22 goals, one more than Lionel Messi.
He also became only the fourth player in World Cup history to score at least 10 goals in a single tournament, joining legendary names:
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Just Fontaine (France, 13 goals in 1958)
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Sándor Kocsis (Hungary, 11 goals in 1954)
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Gerd Müller (West Germany, 10 goals in 1970)
Fontaine’s long-standing record of 13 goals in a single World Cup remains intact.
Golden Boot race goes down to final
The battle for the tournament’s top scorer remained alive until the World Cup final.
Messi entered Sunday’s title match with eight goals and still had a mathematical chance of overtaking Mbappé with a hat-trick against Spain. However, the Argentine captain failed to find the net as Spain secured a 1-0 victory after extra time.
Mbappé therefore finished two goals clear of Messi to retain the Golden Boot.
Top scorers at FIFA World Cup 2026
| Player | Country | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappé | France | 10 | 4 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 8 | 4 |
| Jude Bellingham | England | 7 | 1 |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | 7 | 0 |
| Ousmane Dembélé | France | 6 | 2 |
| Harry Kane | England | 6 | 2 |
| Mikel Oyarzabal | Spain | 5 | 1 |
| Ismaïla Sarr | Senegal | 4 | 1 |
| Julián Quiñones | Mexico | 4 | 1 |
| Vinícius Júnior | Brazil | 4 | 1 |
Mbappé scored in almost every stage of France’s World Cup journey. He opened his campaign with two goals in France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal before scoring another brace in a 3-0 win over Iraq during the group stage.
Although he failed to score in a 4-1 victory against Norway, he returned with two goals in a 3-0 Round of 32 win over Sweden.
The Real Madrid forward then converted the winning penalty in a 1-0 Round of 16 victory over Paraguay before adding another goal in France’s 2-0 quarter-final triumph over Morocco.
France’s hopes of reaching the final ended with a 2-0 defeat to eventual champions Spain in the semi-finals, but Mbappé finished strongly by scoring twice against England in the third-place playoff.
His tally of 10 goals in eight matches ensured he finished as the tournament’s leading scorer.
Despite setting multiple records, Mbappé admitted he would have preferred reaching the World Cup final over winning another Golden Boot.
“When you score that many goals in the World Cup, it certainly takes you to a whole new level,” Mbappé said after the third-place playoff.
“But I would have preferred not to be the top scorer and to have played in the final. It’s good for my legacy once I’ve retired, but right now, that’s not what’s on my mind.”
Other stars also shine at the tournament
Lionel Messi finished second in the Golden Boot standings with eight goals and four assists after leading Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final.
England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Norway striker Erling Haaland each scored seven goals during the tournament.
Haaland became Norway’s all-time leading World Cup scorer after just two matches, while Harry Kane overtook Gary Lineker to become England’s highest-scoring player in World Cup history.
Bellingham’s seven-goal haul also set a new record for the most goals by an England player in a single World Cup.
France forward Ousmane Dembélé and England captain Harry Kane each finished with six goals.
Spain dominate tournament’s individual awards
While Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot, newly crowned world champions Spain swept the remaining major FIFA awards after defeating Argentina in Sunday’s final.
Captain Rodri received the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, goalkeeper Unai Simón won the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal throughout the competition, and teenage defender Pau Cubarsí was named Best Young Player.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored the extra-time winner that secured Spain’s second FIFA World Cup title.
Although France finished fourth, Mbappé’s extraordinary scoring exploits ensured he left the tournament with another piece of football history, cementing his place among the greatest World Cup forwards of all time.
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