Produced by Kylian Mbappe fifa world cup After becoming the top scorer at the 2026 World Cup, he became the first player in history to win the Golden Boot in two consecutive tournaments. Lionel Messi It was one of the closest games in the tournament.The France captain scored 10 goals in eight games and also provided four assists to win the World Cup’s top scorer award. His closest challenger, Argentina captain Lionel Messi, failed to score in Sunday’s 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the final but ended the World Cup with eight goals and four assists.Messi, who scored twice in France’s 6-4 defeat to England in Saturday’s third-place final, knew he needed a hat-trick to overtake Kylian Mbappe. Instead, Spain’s disciplined midfield, led by Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, silenced the Argentina captain and helped La Roja claim a second World Cup title.
Mbappe’s bronze medal game-changing game
Messi briefly took the lead after Argentina beat England in the semi-finals, and the race for the Golden Boot seemed destined to go to the final.Although the two stars had scored eight goals at that stage, Messi’s four assists put him ahead of Mbappe, who had three assists, according to FIFA’s tie-break rules.Everything changed in the race for third place.France trailed England 4-0 at half-time before Mbappe made a surprise comeback, scoring in the 48th and 66th minutes to take his World Cup tally to 10. These two goals not only allowed him to surpass Messi in the scoring list, but also allowed him to surpass the Argentine and become the player with the most goals in the men’s World Cup in history with 22 career goals.England ultimately won the remarkable match 6-4, but Mbappe’s personal achievement ensured he went into the final day of the competition in pole position to claim another Golden Boot.
Messi can’t launch one final attack
All eyes then turned to the World Cup finals at the New York-New Jersey Stadium.Facing a Spain side that conceded just once all game, Argentina needed some inspiration from Messi, but Luis de la Fuente’s side produced one of the most comprehensive defensive performances of the tournament.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) cries at the end of the World Cup final football match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Sunday, July 19, 2026, near New York. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarborough)
Rodri dominated the midfield and Spain limited Argentina’s shots during regulation time. Messi struggled to influence the flow of the game and finished the game without adding a goal or assist.In the end, Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in overtime, ending its reign as World Cup champions.This result also confirmed Mbappe as the Golden Boot winner. Messi performed well in the World Cup, scoring 8 goals and 4 assists, and finally finished second.
Another chapter in Mbappe’s extraordinary World Cup career
The award further cements Mbappe’s exceptional record on football’s biggest stage.After winning the Golden Boot with eight goals at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the Real Madrid striker returned to the tournament four years later and scored a further 10 goals, becoming the first player to win the honor at two consecutive World Cups.His tally also made him the first player to score double figures in a single World Cup since German legend Gerd Müller in 1970.Only France’s Juste Fontaine (13 goals in 1958) and Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis (11 goals in 1954) have scored the most goals in a single World Cup.In the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups, Mbappe scored 22 goals in just 22 games, surpassing Messi to become the top male scorer in World Cup history.Other players also performed well in the race for the Golden Boot, including England’s Harry Kane, who scored six goals, as well as Jude Bellingham, who scored seven, and Norway’s Erling Haaland, both the tournament’s top scorers.
Final personal honor
While Mbappe won the Golden Boot, the Spanish team dominated the remaining individual awards after lifting the trophy.Rodri dominated Spain’s midfield throughout the tournament and won the Adidas Ballon d’Or for his performance in the final. The Manchester City midfielder ended the campaign with a World Cup record of 694 successful passes and was recognized as the tournament’s best player, ahead of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and England’s Jude Bellingham.Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón won the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal and keeping seven clean sheets in eight games during Spain’s title-winning run.Although Messi failed to win the World Cup trophy and Golden Boot, and this may have been his last appearance in football’s biggest competition, his season is still one of the best in the competition. The Argentina captain directly contributed 12 goals through 8 goals and 4 assists, leading the defending champions to their second consecutive World Cup final.This time, however, the championship belongs to Mbappe.With a record-breaking 10 goals, another Golden Boot and sole possession of the top spot on the all-time World Cup scoring list, the France captain once again underlined why he remains one of the iconic players of his generation.
