Kylian Mbappe won the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot on Sunday after finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer with 10 goals, becoming the first player to claim the award twice.
The France captain secured the honor after Lionel Messi failed to add to his eight-goal tally in Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final. England’s Jude Bellingham and Norway’s Erling Haaland finished tied for third with seven goals each.
Mbappe, 27, also won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with eight goals. He scored twice in France’s 6-4 victory over England in Saturday’s third-place playoff.
With 22 goals in three World Cup appearances since making his tournament debut in 2018, Mbappe became the competition’s all-time leading scorer, one goal ahead of Messi.
“When you score that many goals in the World Cup, it certainly takes you to a whole new level,” Mbappe said after the third-place match. “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.”
France coach Didier Deschamps praised Mbappe’s performance throughout the tournament.
“He’s an extraordinary player. He is a brilliant captain,” Deschamps said.
Spain midfielder Rodri won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player after helping his team win the World Cup title. Goalkeeper Unai Simon received the Golden Glove after conceding one goal in eight matches, while Spain defender Pau Cubarsi, 19, earned the FIFA Young Player Award.
