Kylian Mbappe secured the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot award with an impressive 10 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi by two goals. The Argentine legend was unable to match Mbappe's performance, as France lost 6-4 to England in the third-place playoff and Spain won the World Cup final 1-0.
Mbappe's achievement marks a historic milestone, as he becomes the first player to win the Golden Boot twice, following his previous win at Qatar 2022. With 22 goals, Mbappe now holds the record for the most World Cup goals.
Messi concluded the tournament with eight goals, while Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham each scored seven, and Harry Kane scored six. Mbappe's success also saw him overtake Miroslav Klose's record, with the German striker previously holding the top spot with 16 goals. Other notable achievements include Haaland becoming Norway's leading World Cup scorer, Kane surpassing Gary Lineker as England's top scorer, and Bellingham's impressive seven goals in a single tournament.
The Golden Boot contenders had been striving to break Just Fontaine's 1958 record of 13 goals in a single tournament. Mbappe joined an elite group of players, including Fontaine, Gerd Muller, and Sandor Kocsis, in achieving double figures in a single World Cup.
Additional World Cup records include most tournaments played by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with six each, and Cristiano Ronaldo becoming the first player to score in six World Cups.