Toluwani Lasisi
Kylian Mbappé’s individual brilliance shone through at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the French superstar captured the Golden Boot with a staggering 10 goals.
He must be celebrating a ‘prayer’ answered when the runner-up Lionel Messi got no goal during the final match between Argentina and Spain.
Messi’s performance in the game was so low that it could be his worst at such a level.
But the 27-year-old Real Madrid striker Mbappe cemented his legacy as the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history.
After putting two past England in the third-place playoff, his career total reached 22 World Cup goals—pulling ahead of Lionel Messi, who sits second all-time with 21 goals.
Messi had his chance to win the Golden Boot in the final against Spain, but the Argentine icon was completely shut down by a relentless Spanish defense, registering zero shots on target.
Despite France enduring a shocking overall run in the tournament, Mbappé came out on top as the top scorer. He delivered a masterclass across six different matches to reach double digits:
- Group Stage: Senegal (2 goals), Iraq (2 goals)
- Round of 32: Sweden (2 goals)
- Round of 16: Paraguay (1 goal)
- Quarter-final: Morocco (1 goal)
- Third-Place Playoff: England (2 goals)
