France captain Kylian Mbappé has become the first player in history to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot twice after finishing as the top scorer at the 2026 tournament.
The Real Madrid forward claimed the award after scoring 10 goals in eight matches, edging Argentina captain Lionel Messi, and adding to the Golden Boot he won at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he finished with eight goals.
Mbappé also made history by becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s FIFA World Cup history. His two goals in France’s third-place play-off against England took his overall World Cup tally to 22 goals, surpassing Messi’s previous record of 21.
The 27-year-old reached the milestone in just 22 World Cup appearances across the 2018, 2022 and 2026 tournaments, averaging one goal per match. In contrast, Messi’s record came after 32 World Cup appearances.
Mbappé became the first player to score 10 goals at a single World Cup since Germany’s Gerd Müller achieved the feat at the 1970 tournament.
Despite France missing out on the final after losing to Spain in the semi-finals, Mbappé’s individual performances stood out throughout the competition. He also became France’s all-time leading goalscorer during the tournament, surpassing Olivier Giroud’s record.
Speaking after France’s defeat to England in the third-place play-off, Mbappé admitted that personal accolades could not make up for missing the final.
“When you score that many goals in the World Cup, it certainly takes you to a whole new level,” he said.
“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.”
Having already won the World Cup with France in 2018 and reached three consecutive tournaments with Les Bleus, Mbappé’s latest achievement further cements his place among football’s greatest players. At just 27 years old, he is also expected to feature in future World Cups, giving him the opportunity to extend his remarkable goalscoring record even further.