Mbappe first to win World Cup Golden Boot twice as Rodri named Golden Ball winner
Kylian Mbappe has become the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice, earning the award for top scorer at the 2026 tournament. Spain's Rodri was named the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
The Golden Boot is presented to the top scorer of the World Cup and Mbappe's achievement in 2026 marks the first time a player has claimed that honour on two occasions. The Golden Ball recognises the competition's outstanding performer, and the award for the 2026 edition went to Rodri of Spain. Both individual prizes were conferred at the conclusion of the 2026 tournament.
Mbappe's return to the top of the scoring charts secured him a place in the record books as the inaugural two-time recipient of the World Cup Golden Boot. He collected the award as the leading goalscorer in the 2026 event, an accomplishment noted in the official tournament honours. That distinction separates him historically from other World Cup top scorers.
Rodri received the Golden Ball as the player judged to be the best across the 2026 competition, carrying the recognition for individual excellence at the tournament. The accolade for the Golden Ball is awarded to the single player deemed most outstanding during the World Cup, and in 2026 that honour was assigned to the Spain midfielder. The announcement of the Golden Ball followed the same final-stage process as the other official awards.
Both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball represent the principal individual awards handed out at the World Cup, each highlighting separate aspects of personal performance during the tournament. In 2026, those awards went to Mbappe and Rodri respectively, reflecting the tournament organisers' selections for top scorer and best player. The pair of honours are recorded as part of the official awards list for the 2026 World Cup.
The recognition of Mbappe and Rodri completes the roster of major individual distinctions from the 2026 tournament. Their awards stand as the official acknowledgments of scoring and overall playing excellence at that World Cup.
