Mbappe Makes World Cup History With Second Golden Boot As Spain Dominate FIFA Awards

Mbappe Makes World Cup History With Second Golden Boot As Spain Dominate FIFA Awards

By Our Reporter 

Kylian Mbappe has made World Cup history by becoming the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot on two occasions after finishing as the top scorer at the 2026 tournament, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The France and Real Madrid forward scored 10 goals in eight appearances, edging Argentina captain Lionel Messi in a fiercely contested race for the competition's highest-scoring honour. Having also claimed the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with eight goals, Mbappe is now the first player to secure the award in consecutive tournaments.

The 27-year-old's remarkable campaign also saw him become the first player to score 10 or more goals at a single World Cup since West Germany's Gerd Muller netted 10 in 1970. Only France's Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in 1958, and Hungary's Sandor Kocsis, who registered 11 in 1954, have produced higher individual tallies in a single edition of the tournament.

Mbappe also climbed to the top of the men's World Cup all-time scoring chart with 22 career goals, moving one ahead of Messi.

Despite his individual brilliance, Mbappe's campaign ended in disappointment as France finished fourth after a thrilling 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff. The French forward scored twice in the match to move clear in the Golden Boot standings.

Reflecting on his achievement after the game in Miami, Mbappe admitted team success remained his priority.

"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."

Mbappe's goals came throughout the tournament, with braces against Senegal and Iraq in the group stage before adding another two against Sweden in the Round of 32. He then scored the decisive penalty against Paraguay in the Round of 16 and found the net again in the quarter-final victory over Morocco.

Messi entered Sunday's World Cup final with an opportunity to overtake Mbappe by scoring a hat-trick. However, the Argentina captain was unable to find the net as Spain secured a 1-0 victory in New Jersey to lift the trophy, leaving the 39-year-old on eight goals from eight matches.

England's Jude Bellingham and Norway's Erling Haaland finished the tournament with seven goals each, while France's Ousmane Dembele and England captain Harry Kane ended with six.

Rodri Named Tournament's Best Player

Spain's World Cup triumph was capped by a clean sweep of the tournament's major individual honours, with captain Rodri receiving the Golden Ball as the competition's best player.

The Manchester City midfielder played a pivotal role in Spain's march to a second FIFA World Cup title and was presented with the award by FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the final at MetLife Stadium.

The accolade marked another milestone in Rodri's decorated career, adding to his Ballon d'Or triumph in 2023 and his UEFA Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament award.

Messi received the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player, while Mbappe completed the podium by claiming the Bronze Ball.