FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot: Kylian Mbappe pips Lionel Messi for second consecutive time in list of most goals
With 10 goals France's Kylian Mbappe wins the Golden Boot at the FIFA World Cup 2026, leaving behind Argentina's Lionel Messi by two goals. In 2022, Mbappe had also pipped Messi to take the prize.
Kylian Mbappe pipped Lionel Messi for the second consecutive time to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot on Monday, after Lionel Messi failed to net any in the final for Argentina at the MetLife Stadium. Despite France's ouster in the semifinals to eventual winners Spain, Mbappe scored twice against England in the Bronze Final to increase his tally to 10 goals.
By doing so, Mbappe also became the fourth player ever to score 10 goals or more in a single edition of a World Cup after Just Fontaine (France, 13 goals in 1958), Sandor Kocsis (Hungary, 11 goals in 1954) and Gerd Meller (West Germany, 10 goals in 1970). Mbappe became the first player to win World Cup Golden Boot twice in history.
In the end, Messi's count in the 2026 FIFA World Cup remained at eight. In the 2022 edition in Qatar, Mbappe (8) had pipped Messi by just a goal to take the Golden Boot. England's Jude Bellingham and Norway's Erling Haaland finished at third and fourth spots respectively with seven goals each. The Golden Boot was first introduced in 1982.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot final standings
| Rank | Player | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
| 1 | Kylian Mbappe (France) | 10 | 4 | 769 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 8 | 4 | 783 |
| 3 | Jude Bellingham (England) | 7 | 1 | 698 |
| 4 | Erling Haaland (Norway) | 7 | 0 | 537 |
| 5 | Ousmane Dembele (France) | 6 | 2 | 648 |
| 6 | Harry Kane (England) | 6 | 1 | 732 |
| 7 | Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) | 5 | 1 | 664 |
| 8 | Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) | 4 | 1 | 419 |
| 9 | Julian Quinones (Mexico) | 4 | 1 | 440 |
| 10 | Vinicius Jr. (Brazil) | 4 | 1 | 505 |
All hail super-sub Ferran Torres
Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the extra time as Spain beat 10-man Argentina 1-0 to lift the World Cup for the second time after 2010. The European champions dominated the match but struggled to find a breakthrough against the streetwise defending champions.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a string of saves to deny Spain, but the match changed complexion in second-half stoppage-time when midfielder Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card.
Extra-time followed a familiar pattern, with Spain probing for the opening goal against a deep-lying Argentina. The breakthrough eventually came in the early moments of the second period of extra-time when substitute Torres finished crisply following a brilliant knock-back by Nico Williams.
Luis de la Fuente's Spain conceded just one goal in seven matches on their way to the final, suffocating opponents with their slick possession game.
Get all updates from FIFA World Cup 2026 here, along with FIFA World Cup 2026 Complete Schedule and FIFA World Cup 2026 Points Table.
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Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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