Prateek Tanmay
2 min readJul 20, 2026 04:16 AM IST
Kylian Mbappe won back to back Golden Boots after the French sensation topped the goal-scoring charts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with 10 goals. He pipped closest rival Lionel Messi who could not score or assist in the final vs Spain, ending the tournament with 8 goals. This was also the second straight time Mbappe had won the Golden Boot over Messi, with the French player winning the prize in Qatar as well with 7 goals, one more than the Argentinian.
The other awards were swept by the World Cup winning Spanish team as goalkeeper Unai Simon won the Golden Glove after getting beat only once the entire tournament while midfielder Rodri was adjudged the player of the tournament and awarded the Golden Ball. Defender Pau Cubarsí was elected as the best young player.
Who are the top scorers at the 2026 World Cup?
Kylian Mbappe – France: 10 goals
Lionel Messi – Argentina: 8 goals
Jude Bellingham – England: 7 goals
Erling Haaland – Norway: 7 goals
Ousmane Dembele – France: 6 goals
Other awards:
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Glove winner: Unai Simon (Spain)
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Ball winner: Rodri (Spain)
FIFA World Cup 2026 Young Player of the tournament: Pau Cubarsí (Spain)
What happened in the final
Spain needed an extra-time goal by substitute Ferran Torres to edge past 10-man defending champions Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup on Sunday. Torres broke the deadlock early in the second half of extra time, firing home on the rebound to give the European champions their second World Cup title.
Argentina were down to 10 men when Enzo Fernandez was dismissed with a second booking in second-half stoppage time. The Argentines were toothless in attack and did not have a shot on or off target for 115 minutes. At 65 years old, Spain’s Luis de la Fuente became the oldest World Cup-winning coach. Argentina’s 39-year-old captain Lionel Messi became only the second player to feature in three World Cup finals and also the oldest outfield player to feature in a final.
