Real Madrid News
Kylian Mbappe makes history by winning the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Real Madrid superstar and France captain Kylian Mbappe has made World Cup history by winning the Golden Boot for the second time in his career.
After finishing as runner-up with France in Qatar 2022 and ending the 2026 tournament in fourth place, the French superstar once again finished as the competition’s top scorer.
No player had ever won the World Cup Golden Boot twice since the tournament began in 1930.
Mbappe’s historic tournament
Mbappe finished the World Cup with 10 goals in eight matches, adding four assists in 769 minutes of action.
His outstanding numbers secured the tournament’s top individual scoring award, even though France fell short of lifting the trophy.
Kylian Mbappe has become the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice! 🤯👏 pic.twitter.com/OmI6Y9VQRl
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 19, 2026
The race for the Golden Boot became one of the defining storylines of the tournament, with Lionel Messi and Mbappe battling for the award from the group stage onwards.
Both stars scored consistently throughout the competition, helping Argentina and France reach the final stages of the World Cup.
While Messi featured in the final against Spain, Mbappe played in the third-place playoff against England. The French forward sealed the Golden Boot with a brace, taking his tally to 10 goals and moving clear at the top of the standings.
Messi finished with eight goals and four assists after enduring a disappointing final against Spain where he had zero impact.
Before Mbappe’s final match, the Argentine held the advantage on the assist tiebreaker, but the Frenchman not only surpassed him in goals but also matched his four assists.
Bellingham completes the podium
Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham finished third in the Golden Boot race after scoring seven goals, including a spectacular strike against France in the third-place playoff.
Bellingham edged Erling Haaland, who also scored seven goals, thanks to recording one assist during the tournament, while the Norwegian exited in the quarter-finals.
Further down the standings, Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembele both ended the tournament with six goals, while World Cup winner with Spain, Mikel Oyarzabal, rounded out the leading scorers with five.
Mbappe’s remarkable scoring record ensures his place in World Cup history as the first player ever to win the Golden Boot on two separate occasions.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
