Kylian Mbappé has successfully defended his title as the World Cup Golden Boot winner, thanks to Lionel Messi not scoring in the final against Spain.
The striker for France and Real Madrid scored two goals in a 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place match, bringing his total to 10 goals for the tournament. This achievement makes him the first player to win the Golden Boot in two World Cups (2022 and 2026).
Mbappé triumphed over competition from Argentina’s Messi, who netted eight goals, as well as Norway’s Erling Haaland and England’s Jude Bellingham, both with seven goals, alongside Harry Kane and teammate Ousmane Dembélé, each with six goals.
During the tournament, Mbappé scored two goals in France’s opening match, a 3-1 victory against Senegal, followed by another two goals in a 3-0 win over Iraq. He didn’t score against Norway in a 4-1 victory but netted twice in a 3-0 round of 32 match against Sweden.
His penalty goal against Paraguay in the round of 16 was crucial, and he added another in a 2-0 win against Morocco during the quarterfinals. Despite France’s 2-0 loss to Spain in the semifinals, Mbappé scored twice in the third-place playoff against England, helping his team recover from a 4-0 deficit at halftime.
Mbappé also claimed the Golden Boot four years ago, with a hat trick in the final against Argentina that outshone Messi.
– Torres leads Spain to their second World Cup title
– Argentina suffers losses as Martínez and Romero get injured in the final
Spain, meantime, collected multiple individual honors after defeating Argentina in extra time during Sunday’s final.
Rodri and Pau Cubarsí received accolades for Player and Young Player of the Tournament, respectively, while Unai Simón was awarded the Golden Glove after conceding only one goal throughout seven matches.
Ferran Torres netted the decisive goal that secured Spain’s second World Cup triumph.