Mbappé Becomes First Player to Win Two Golden Boots as Messi Fails to Score in 2026 World Cup Final

Although Kylian Mbappé scored two goals in the third-place match and led the Golden Boot rankings, he had previously said, 'What I truly wanted was the championship match, and Messi will definitely score in the final.' However, Argentina's star Lionel Messi surprisingly failed to register a single point in the final, allowing Mbappé to secure his second career Golden Boot and become the first player in World Cup history to achieve this feat. Ironically, the teams featuring the top two scorers in the Golden Boot race finished in second and fourth place.

Mbappé contributed a total of 10 goals and 4 assists for France throughout the tournament, while Messi finished with 8 goals and 4 assists. Messi's failure to record a goal or assist in the final marked the first time in his last 12 World Cup appearances that he ended a match without contributing offensively. Nevertheless, the Associated Press believes that the 39-year-old Messi still has a strong chance to extend his historic legacy by winning a record third 'Golden Ball' (Golden Ball), the award for the tournament's best player. After all, leading Argentina to back-to-back finals at the age of 39 provides him with compelling credentials for another Golden Ball triumph.

Although Mbappé became the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer, he missed out on the 2026 final. (AP)

For Messi, who has won numerous football accolades, the Golden Boot remains one of the few honors missing from his illustrious career. At the end of the semifinals, Messi and Mbappé were tied with 8 goals each, but Messi held the top spot on the scoring chart due to one additional assist (when goals are equal, the player with more assists ranks higher). However, Mbappé scored two goals and provided one assist in last week's third-place match. Although France ultimately lost 4-6 to England, Mbappé's total goal tally reached 10, making him the first player since West Germany's legendary Gerd Müller in 1970 to achieve this milestone.

Although Mbappé became the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer, he missed out on the 2026 final. (AP)

As for the 'Golden Glove' (Golden Glove), awarded to the top goalkeeper, and the 'Best Young Player Award' for players aged 21 or under, the Associated Press believes the champion Spain team is highly likely to sweep both awards. After all, their goalkeeper Unai Simón conceded only one goal in eight matches; 19-year-old forward Lamine Yamal dazzled on the frontline, proving himself one of the most promising young talents in world football today. These awards lack objective criteria and are instead determined by media journalists voting from a candidate list compiled by the FIFA Technical Study Group.