Kylian Mbappé secures second consecutive World Cup Golden Boot despite France’s semifinal exit

• Kylian Mbappé finished as the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s leading scorer with 10 goals to retain the Golden Boot.
• The France captain became the first player to win the award at consecutive men’s World Cups after Lionel Messi failed to score in the final.
• Spain dominated the individual honours following their World Cup triumph over Argentina.

Kylian Mbappé retained the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot after finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer, becoming the first player to win the award at successive men’s World Cups.

The France captain ended the competition with 10 goals after scoring twice in Saturday’s 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff. Although France fell short of reaching the final, Mbappé’s tally remained out of reach after Argentina captain Lionel Messi was unable to add to his total during Sunday’s defeat to Spain.

Messi finished with eight goals, while Norway striker Erling Haaland and England midfielder Jude Bellingham both ended the tournament on seven. England captain Harry Kane and France forward Ousmane Dembélé each finished with six goals.

Mbappé produced another prolific campaign from the opening match onwards. He scored twice in France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal before adding another brace in a 3-0 win against Iraq during the group stage.

The 27-year-old was kept off the scoresheet against Norway but returned to scoring form with two goals in France’s 3-0 round-of-32 victory over Sweden.

His penalty proved decisive in the 1-0 win over Paraguay before he struck again during France’s 2-0 quarterfinal victory against Morocco.

France’s hopes of lifting the trophy ended with a 2-0 semifinal defeat to eventual champions Spain, but Mbappé finished the tournament strongly by scoring twice as Les Bleus attempted an unlikely comeback against England in the third-place playoff after trailing 4-0 at half-time.

The achievement follows Mbappé’s Golden Boot success at the 2022 World Cup, when his hat-trick in the final against Argentina secured the award despite France losing the trophy on penalties.

Spain, meanwhile, completed a memorable tournament by collecting several of the competition’s major individual honours alongside the World Cup trophy.

Midfielder Rodri was named Player of the Tournament after another commanding campaign at the heart of Spain’s midfield, while teenage defender Pau Cubarsí received the Young Player of the Tournament award following a breakthrough competition.

Goalkeeper Unai Simón was presented with the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal across seven matches, playing a key role in Spain’s run to a second World Cup title.

Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time as Spain defeated Argentina in Sunday’s final to lift the trophy and cap an outstanding tournament for Luis de la Fuente’s side.

WRITTEN BY

Hailey

Hailey Russell is a football journalist and former Division 1 collegiate athlete in the United States, bringing a unique blend of elite playing experience and professional insight to her work. Currently competing at the professional level in Europe, Hailey combines first-hand knowledge of the modern game with sharp analysis across match reports, player development, and tactical breakdowns.

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