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Who Won the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot Race?

Who Won the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot Race?

FIFA World Cup Sports Betting Picks 2026 DraftKings Sportsbook Insights

Updated:

By: Griffin Wong

The Bronze Final at the World Cup doesn’t receive as much hoopla as the Final, but in the 2026 World Cup, it proved to be decisive in the Golden Boot race.

While all attention was on Lionel Messi and Argentina as they prepared for their final against Spain, Mbappé bagged a brace in a France’s 6-4 defeat to England in the Bronze Final. The goals were his ninth and 10th of the tournament, vaulting him ahead of Messi in both the all-time World Cup goal scoring list (22 to 21) and the 2026 Golden Boot race.

When Messi failed to score in the final, getting his only shot blocked by Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino, it became official. Mbappé claimed his second consecutive Golden Boot, becoming the first player ever to win the top scorer award at the most prestigious tournament twice.

Mbappé got off to a hot start in the tournament, scoring twice in the second half of Les Bleus’ opener against Senegal, scoring another two in their second match against Iraq, and netting yet another brace in France’s Round of 32 match against Sweden. All in all, he scored in six of his eight matches during this World Cup. He also contributed four assists, including one in the Bronze Final.

Griffin Wong
Griffin Wong has been a content writer at DK Network since November 2024. Prior to that, he was the former sports editor for the Harvard Crimson, where he covered the football team for two years and earned four Story of the Year nominations from the Associated College Press. A lifelong Lakers and Dodgers fan, Griffin’s favorite athlete of all time is Kobe Bryant. When he’s not writing, Griffin is usually skiing, running, golfing, or playing basketball — badly.
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