Kylian Mbappe has become the first player ever to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice. The France forward scored 10 goals in eight games at the 2026 tournament, earning the award for top scorer and pulling ahead of Lionel Messi to claim the men's World Cup all-time scoring record with 22 goals.
Mbappe had previously won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he scored eight goals. No player had won the award in back-to-back tournaments before. According to BBC Sport, he was also the first man to reach double figures in goals at a single World Cup since Gerd Muller scored for West Germany in 1970. Only Just Fontaine, who hit 13 for France in 1958, and Hungary's Sandor Kocsis, with 11 in 1954, have scored more goals in a single tournament.
The achievement came despite France finishing fourth. Mbappe scored twice in Saturday's bronze match in Miami, but France fell to a 6-4 defeat against England. His 22nd World Cup goal came from that match, moving him one clear of Messi on the all-time list.
After Saturday's match, Mbappe addressed the tension between individual achievement and team disappointment. "When you score that many goals in the World Cup, it certainly takes you to a whole new level," he said. "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."
His path to 10 goals included two strikes each against Senegal and Iraq in the group stage, as well as a goal against Sweden in the last 32. He scored against Paraguay in the last 16, including a 70th-minute penalty, and added another against Morocco in the quarterfinals.
Messi finished with eight goals in eight matches. Argentina lost the final 1-0 to Spain in New Jersey, ending any chance of Messi overtaking Mbappe with the hat trick he would have needed. The 39-year-old won the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player.
Spain swept the remaining individual awards. Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, receiving the award from FIFA president Gianni Infantino on the field at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It was the third major individual honor of Rodri's career. He previously won the Ballon d'Or in 2023 and was named UEFA Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament after Spain defeated England in that final.
Mbappe was named Bronze Ball winner. England's Jude Bellingham and Norway's Erling Haaland each scored seven goals in the tournament. France forward Ousmane Dembele and England captain Harry Kane followed with six each.
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon won the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal in eight games. The Athletic Club stopper kept seven clean sheets throughout the tournament and was only beaten by Belgium's Charles de Ketelaere in the quarterfinals.
Spain's title was the nation's second men's World Cup championship.
