Kylian Mbappe Wins Golden Boot at FIFA World Cup 2026

Kylian Mbappe, France's star forward, has won the FIFA World Cup 2026 'Golden Boot' (award for most goals). Mbappe, who became the top scorer with 8 goals in the Qatar World Cup 2022, has managed to keep this prestigious award in his name for the second consecutive time. Although France lost to England 6-4 in the exciting third-place (bronze medal) match held in Miami on Sunday, Mbappe scored two goals, bringing his personal goal tally for this edition to 10.

Having completed 10 goals and 4 assists in this edition, the 27-year-old Mbappe has secured the Golden Boot, surpassing Argentina's captain Lionel Messi. Messi remained in second place with 8 goals and 4 assists, while England's midfielder Jude Bellingham was third with 7 goals and 1 assist. With his excellent performance in this edition, Mbappe has also become the all-time top scorer in men's FIFA World Cup history with a total of 22 goals. He has surpassed Argentine veteran Lionel Messi, who scored 21 goals. For his outstanding performance in the tournament, Mbappe has also received the 'Bronze Ball'.

Mbappe, who showed excellent form throughout the World Cup campaign, scored 2 goals each against Senegal and Iraq in the group stage and against Sweden in the pre-quarterfinals. He then took the decisive penalty against Paraguay and scored the first goal in the 2-0 victory against Morocco in the quarterfinals. Unable to score against Spain in the semifinals, he added 2 more goals in the third-place clash against England. France reached the semifinals under his excellent captaincy, where the team lost 2-0 to Spain.

Reacting after winning the Golden Boot, Real Madrid star Mbappe stated that his priority was to help the team reach the final rather than winning individual awards. He said, 'Scoring so many goals in the World Cup certainly takes you to new heights. But, I would have preferred to play in the final with the team rather than become the top scorer. This is good for the legacy of my playing career after retirement, but I don't have that thought in my mind right now.'

France's departing head coach Didier Deschamps praised Mbappe's captaincy and play, calling him an extraordinary player and an exemplary captain. He stated that Mbappe has been a key pillar of the team since the age of 18 and his role on and off the field has been exemplary.

According to FIFA's Golden Boot distribution rules, if two or more players have the same number of goals, the player with the most assists (number of goal contributions) becomes the winner. If the assists are also equal, the player who spent the least amount of time on the field is given first place.