* The France forward netted 10 goals in eight games of the 2026 edition to edge out Lionel Messi in a high-quality race
* In Qatar 2022, he struck eight times to finish top scorer and the 27-year-old is the first to reach double figures for World Cup goals since Gerd Muller for West Germany in 1970
* Manchester City midfielder Rodri, a key figure in Spain’s run to a second World Cup triumph, was named Best Player
By Emma Smith, BBC Sport
Kylian Mbappe has become the first player to win the FIFA World Cup™ Golden Boot twice after earning the award for top scorer at the 2026 tournament.
The France forward netted 10 goals in eight games to edge out Lionel Messi in a high-quality race.
Having struck eight times to finish top scorer at Qatar 2022, Mbappe has won the Golden Boot in back-to-back World Cups.
The 27-year-old was the first man to reach double figures for World Cup goals since Gerd Muller for West Germany in 1970.
Gerd Muller
Only Just Fontaine, who hit 13 for France in 1958, and Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis with 11 in 1954, have scored more individual goals in a single tournament.
French forward Just Fontaine
Mbappe is also now the men’s World Cup all-time top scorer with 22 goals — one ahead of Messi.
World champions Spain swept the rest of the awards, including captain Rodri winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
Mbappe moved clear of Messi on Saturday with two goals in the bronze match, although he could not stop France falling to a 6-4 defeat against England in 3rd-place-play-off and finishing fourth.
“When you score that many goals in the World Cup, it certainly takes you to a whole new level,” he said after Saturday’s match in Miami.
“But I would have preferred not to be the top scorer and to have played in the final. It’s good for my legacy once I’ve retired, but right now, that’s not what’s on my mind.”
Mbappe also scored twice against Senegal and Iraq in the group stage, as well as Sweden in the last 32.
He followed that with strikes against Paraguay in the last 16 — the 70th-minute winner from the penalty spot — and against Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Messi could have overtaken the Real Madrid forward with a hat-trick in the World Cup final on Sunday. However, the 39-year-old could not find the net in New Jersey as his Argentina side were beaten 1-0 by Spain, and ended the competition with eight goals in as many matches.
England’s Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland of Norway scored seven times, while France forward Ousmane Dembele and English captain Harry Kane followed them in the list with six.
Golden Ball — Rodri (Spain)
Manchester City midfielder Rodri, a key figure in Spain’s run to a second men’s World Cup triumph, was named Best Player.
Rodri has won the World Cup and Euros with Spain — plus four Premier League titles with Man City
The 30-year-old received the Golden Ball from FIFA president Gianni Infantino on the field at the MetLife Stadium following the final in New Jersey.
It was the third major individual accolade of his career, having won the Ballon d’Or in 2023 and then UEFA Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament after Spain’s final triumph against England two years ago.
Rodri and his trophy
Messi won the Silver Ball as the second-best player, with Mbappe named Bronze Ball winner.
Golden Glove — Unai Simon (Spain)
Spain’s Unai Simon claimed the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper after conceding just once in eight games.
The Athletic Club stopper kept seven clean sheets and was only beaten by Belgium’s Charles de Ketelaere in the quarter-final tie.
The 29-year-old was picked ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League title winner David Raya as Spain’s number one, and repaid manager Luis de la Fuente’s faith with a series of solid performances as they were crowned champions.
Best Young Player — Pau Cubarsi (Spain)
Pau Cubarsi, the 19-year-old Barcelona centre-back, received the award for the tournament’s best young player.
Pau Cubarsi gets his prize from United States President Donald Trump
He was a key figure in the Spanish defence that only conceded once all tournament and restricted Argentina to just two shots in the final with none on target.
Cubarsi played every single minute for Spain as they emulated their 2010 World Cup success in South Africa.—Editing by Maravi Express
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All group stage results, group log tables and knock out results
Group A
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
South Korea 2-1 Czechia
Czech Republic 1-2 South Africa
Mexico 1-0 South Korea
South Africa 1-0 South Korea
Czech Republic 0-3 Mexico
Group B
Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Qatar 1-1 Switzerland
Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Canada 6-0 Qatar
Switzerland 2-1 Canada
Bosnia & Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar
Group C
Brazil 1-1 Morocco
Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Scotland 0-1 Morocco
Brazil 3-0 Haiti
Morocco 4-2 Haiti
Scotland 3-0 Brazil
Group D
USA 4-1 Paraguay
Australia 2-0 Turkiye
USA 2-1 Australia
Turkiye 0-1 Paraguay
Turkiye 3-2 USA
Paraguay 0-0 Australia
Group E
Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Ecuador
Germany 7-1 Curaçao
Germany 2-1 Côte d’Ivoire
Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao
Curaçao 0-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Ecuador 2-1 Germany
Group F
Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Tunisia 0-4 Japan
Netherlands 5-1 Sweden
Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands
Sweden 1-1 Japan
Group G
Belgium 1-1 Egypt
Iran 2-2 New Zealand
Belgium 0-0
New Zealand 1-3
Egypt 1-1 Iran
New Zealand 1-5 Belgium
Group H
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay
Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde
Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia
Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia
Uruguay 0-1 Spain
Group I
France 3-1 Senegal
Iraq 1-4 Norway
Norway 3-2 Senegal
France 3-0 Iraq
Norway 1-4 France
Senegal 5-0 Iraq
Group J
Argentina 3-0 Algeria
Austria 3-1 Jordan
Argentina 2-0 Austria
Jordan 1-2 Algeria
Jordan 1-3 Argentina
Algeria 3-3 Austria
Group K
Portugal 1-1 DR Congo
Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia
Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan
Colombia 1-0 DR Congo
DR Congo 3-1 Uzbekistan
Colombia 0-0 Portugal
Group L
England 4-2 Croatia
Ghana 1-0 Panama
England 0-0 Ghana
Panama 0-1 Croatia
Panama 0-2 England
Croatia 2-1 Ghana
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Knockout stages results
Round of 32
* South Africa 0-1 Canada
* Jordan 1-3 Argentina
* Brazil 2-1 Japan
* Germany 1(3)-1(4) Paraguay
* Netherlands 1(2)-1(3) Morocco
* Côte d’Ivoire 1-2 Norway
* France 3-0 Sweden
* Mexico 2-0 Ecuador
* England 1-2 DR Congo
* Belgium 3-2 Senegal
* USA 2-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
* Spain 3-0 Austria
* Portugal 2-1 Croatia
* Switzerland 2-0 Algeria
* Australia 1(2)-1(4) Egypt
* Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde
* Colombia 1-0 Ghana
Round of 16
* Canada 0-3 Morocco
* Paraguay 0-1 France
* Brazil 1-2 Norway
* Mexico 2-3 England
* Portugal 0-1 Spain
* USA 1-4 Belgium
* Argentina 3-2 Egypt
* Switzerland 0(4)-0(3) Colombia
Quarterfinals
* Morocco 0-2 France
* Belgium 1-2 Spain
* Norway 1-2 England
* Argentina 3-1 Switzerland
Semifinals
* France 0-2 Spain
* England 1-0 Argentina
3rd Place Play-off
* France 4-6 England
Final
* Spain 1-0 Argentina
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