Mbappe Strips Messi of 'Historic Title'

The curtain fell on the 2026 World Cup after 39 days in which football captivated its fans, with the final act being a deserving coronation for Spain, who made history with their second title, while Argentina failed to defend their crown.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi appeared far from the expected level, posing no threat to Spain's goal, failing to reclaim two titles that Frenchman Kylian Mbappe snatched from him thanks to his two goals against England in the France vs England match on Saturday for third place. Messi entered the World Cup final needing two goals to regain the top spot in the all-time World Cup scorers list, which Mbappe had taken with 22 goals, one ahead of Messi.

Mbappe also officially clinched the 2026 World Cup top scorer title, becoming the first player in history to win the Golden Boot in two consecutive World Cups. Mbappe scored 10 goals in the 2026 edition, having scored 8 in 2022 and 4 in 2018.