Kylian Mbappe has become the first player in history to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice, securing the top scorer award at the 2026 tournament. The French forward netted 10 goals across eight matches, outpacing Lionel Messi in a highly competitive race for the prestigious individual honour.
This remarkable achievement follows Mbappe's previous success at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where he scored eight goals to claim his first Golden Boot. His consistent performance across two consecutive tournaments highlights his dominance in global football. The 27-year-old's 10 goals in 2026 also made him the first player since Gerd Muller in 1970 to reach double figures for goals in a single World Cup.
Mbappe's prolific scoring record places him among the sport's legends. Only Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals for France in 1958, and Hungary's Sandor Kocsis, with 11 goals in 1954, have scored more individual goals in a single World Cup tournament. This historical context underscores the significance of Mbappe's current form and his impact on the sport.
Furthermore, Mbappe has now become the men's all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, accumulating a total of 22 goals. He surpassed Lionel Messi's record, moving one goal ahead of the Argentine. Mbappe secured this new record with two goals in the bronze medal match, despite France's 6-4 defeat against England, which saw them finish fourth in the tournament.
Throughout the 2026 World Cup, Mbappe demonstrated his scoring prowess consistently. He scored twice against Senegal and Iraq during the group stage. He followed these performances with additional strikes against Sweden in the last 32. Crucially, he scored the 70th-minute winner from the penalty spot against Paraguay in the last 16, and also found the net against Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Lionel Messi, 39, had an opportunity to overtake Mbappe in the final match. However, he failed to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final in New Jersey, where Argentina was defeated 1-0 by Spain. Messi concluded the competition with eight goals from eight matches, placing him second in the Golden Boot race.
Other notable scorers in the tournament included England's Jude Bellingham and Norway's Erling Haaland, both of whom scored seven goals. France's Ousmane Dembele and England captain Harry Kane each contributed six goals to their respective teams. These performances highlight the high level of attacking talent present at the 2026 World Cup.
In a related individual award, Spain's Unai Simon claimed the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper. Simon conceded only one goal across eight games, maintaining seven clean sheets. His exceptional performance was crucial in Spain's victory, as they were crowned champions of the 2026 World Cup.