Kylian Mbappe has won the adidas Golden Boot for , retaining the title of tournament top scorer which he claimed at .
The France forward took his tally to ten with a double in Les Bleus’ in an enthralling and end-to-end Bronze final in Miami on Saturday.
Mbappe, who is now the , has been in electric form throughout June and July, leading France to the semi-finals, where they were beaten 2-0 by Spain.
The 27-year-old, who scored four times as his nation lifted the trophy at Russia 2018 and added eight more as they reached the final four years later, bagged braces in the group games against Senegal and Iraq and again in the Round of 32 success against Sweden.
Mbappe, who also claimed the adidas Bronze Ball for his performances, then fired home the crucial penalty to overcome Paraguay and hit the opener in France’s 2-0 quarter-final success against Morocco, drawing a blank against La Roja before adding two more in the defeat by England.
His double-figure haul ensured he took the crown ahead of Lionel Messi, who he had traded places with at the top of the Golden Boot standings several times, as the Argentina legend ended his campaign with eight goals.
And while claiming another trophy as top scorer is a clear honour for the Real Madrid man, he would have preferred the opportunity to challenge for global glory in the World Cup final.
“When you score that many goals in the World Cup, it certainly takes you to a whole new level. But I would have preferred not to be the top scorer and to have played in the final. It’s good for my legacy once I’ve retired, but right now, that’s not what’s on my mind,” he said after the Bronze final.
And outgoing France coach Didier Deschamps, who has guided Mbappe through each of his three World Cup campaigns, added: “He’s an extraordinary player. He is a brilliant captain. Like most of those here who’ve only ever played under me, he’s one of the key players.
“He started out at the age of 18. Given the journey he’s been on – even though it must be a disappointment for him to have to stop and not be able to play (in the final) – and based on what I’ve seen him do both on and off the pitch, I have absolutely no regrets about choosing him as captain, because he has been an exemplary captain throughout this World Cup.”
The adidas Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals in the final competition. If two or more players score the same number of goals, the number of assists (as determined by the members of the FIFA Technical Study Group) shall be decisive.
If two or more players are still equal after taking into account the number of assists, the total minutes played in the tournament will be taken into account, with the player playing fewer minutes ranked first.
Sources: FIFA Official
