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Mbappe Wins World Cup Golden Boot Twice in 2026

France striker Kylian Mbappe becomes first player to win World Cup Golden Boot twice with 10 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi's total for the 2026 tournament.

By Los Angeles Sport Desk · Published July 19, 2026

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Mbappe Wins World Cup Golden Boot Twice in 2026 — Photo by Fæ / flickr (pdm)

Kylian Mbappe has become the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice after finishing as top scorer at the 2026 tournament with 10 goals in eight games.

Back-to-Back Honors for France Striker

The 27-year-old edged out Lionel Messi in the race for the award. Mbappe had already claimed the honor in Qatar in 2022 with eight goals and moved to 22 career World Cup goals, one ahead of the Argentine. He reached double figures in a single tournament for the first time since Gerd Muller in 1970, though only Just Fontaine with 13 in 1958 and Sandor Kocsis with 11 in 1954 have scored more in one edition.

Mbappe scored twice against Senegal and Iraq during the group stage and added one more against Sweden in the last 32. He netted the 70th-minute penalty winner against Paraguay in the last 16 and scored again in the quarter-final against Morocco. Two goals in the bronze medal match against England on Saturday gave him the final tally, though France lost 6-4 and finished fourth.

Messi Falls Short in Final

Messi ended with eight goals in eight matches. He needed a hat-trick in Sunday's final to overtake Mbappe but failed to score as Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in New Jersey. Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland each scored seven times, while Ousmane Dembele and Harry Kane finished with six.

Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon received the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal in eight matches. The 29-year-old kept seven clean sheets and was beaten only by Belgium's Charles de Ketelaere in the quarter-finals. Simon was selected ahead of David Raya and helped deliver the title for manager Luis de la Fuente.

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