Kylian Mbappé has won the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer for the second consecutive edition. The France captain had also claimed the award at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Once again, however, the individual accolade came with disappointment. Just as in Qatar three and a half years earlier, Mbappé ended the tournament without lifting the trophy. In 2022, then a Paris Saint-Germain star, he was unable to guide France to a second straight world title despite scoring a sensational hat-trick in the final against Argentina, with Les Bleus ultimately losing 4-2 on penalties.
At the age of 24, Mbappé finished the Qatar tournament with eight goals. Four years later, now 28 and playing for Real Madrid, he raised the bar even higher. His two goals in France’s third-place playoff victory over England took his tally to 10, securing the Golden Boot ahead of Lionel Messi, who ended the 2026 World Cup with eight goals.
Mbappé also moved into second place on the all-time World Cup scoring charts. His 10-goal haul lifted his career total to 22 goals in World Cup finals, surpassing Lionel Messi, who remained on 21 after failing to score in the final against Spain.
The France captain’s consistency on football’s biggest stage has been remarkable. He scored four goals at the 2018 World Cup, eight in Qatar in 2022, and 10 at the 2026 tournament across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, further cementing his status as one of the greatest World Cup goalscorers in history.
