World Cup 2026 top scorers: Kylian Mbappe beats Lionel Messi to Golden Boot award again | OneFootball

Messi loses out to Mbappe once again

All the top forwards on the planet have showed up over the past five weeks in North America, making this a battle for the ages - perhaps one that will never be topped.

Lionel Messi was leading the way with eight goals during what has been another standout tournament from the Argentina captain. He became the first player in history to notch in six successive World Cup knockout games, after surpassing Germany great Miroslav Klose during the group stage to become the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer.

However, he was surpassed once again by rival Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice as France fought back valiantly, ultimately in vain, against England in a pulsating bronze final - AKA the third-place play-off - in Miami on Saturday.

Kylian Mbappe beat Lionel Messi to the Golden Boot award at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

AFP via Getty Images

He also assisted a goal for Bradley Barcola to take him level on that front with Messi on four.

Mbappe is the first player since Gerd Muller for West Germany in 1970 to score more than eight goals at a single men’s World Cup, while he has - for now at least - also overtaken Messi by one to become the leading scorer in World Cup finals history himself with 22.

Those efforts left Messi with it all to do in Sunday’s final against Spain and drawing a blank in the final means he has been beaten to the prestigious award by Mbappe for the second tournament in a row.

Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane were both still in the running for the Golden Boot heading into the weekend, though neither player started for England against France as head coach Thomas Tuchel rang the changes.

However, Bellingham came on and scored his seventh goal of the World Cup in a thrilling 6-4 victory for the Three Lions, with Ousmane Dembele also on target to move him on to six.