Who was top goalscorer at 2022 World Cup? Who won the Golden Boot? Kylian Mbappe wins individual duel with Lionel Messi
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Updated 18/12/2022 at 22:06 GMT
France striker Kylian Mbappe claimed the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot with a historic hat-trick in the final against Argentina. Mbappe and Lionel Messi came into the showpiece finale on five goals each, with Olivier Giroud and Julian Alvarez both on four. Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot but an Mbappe brace forced extra-time. Both Mbappe and Messi struck again in extra-time.
'It’s not England v Mbappe, it’s England v France' – Walker
Kylian Mbappe scooped up the prize of World Cup Golden Boot with a historic treble in the final against Argentina.
The four leading scorers at the tournament came from the two teams contesting the final - Argentina and France. Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi were on five ahead of the showpiece finale - though Mbappe had not scored in his last two games - with Olivier Giroud, who became France's all-time leading scorer earlier in the tournament, and Julian Alvarez sat on four.
Argentina made the stronger start to the 2022 World Cup final, and took the lead when they were awarded an early penalty after Ousmane Dembele felled Angel Di Maria. Messi waited for Hugo Lloris to go down before slotting home and giving his men the lead.
Messi then scored a tap-in in extra-time to put himself on 13 total World Cup goals - one ahead of Pele.
But it was Mbappe - with a hat-trick in the Qatar showpiece - who won the 2022 Golden Boot, and yet still finished on the losing side.
Harry Kane won the Golden Boot in 2018, with Denis Cheryshev second and Cristiano Ronaldo third.
Who is top goalscorer at the 2022 World Cup?
France's Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot with eight goals at Qatar 2022.
Lionel Messi took his tally to six for the tournament when opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the final against France.
He had moved to five goals by doing the same as he scored the opener from the penalty spot in the semi-final against Croatia. Mbappe didn't score in the quarter-finals against England or the semi-final victory over Morocco.
Mbappe shot back into top spot with two goals in as many minutes late in the final against Argentina, moving to seven goals in Qatar.
Then Messi added his seventh goal in the second half of extra-time, moving level with Mbappe, before the PSG striker converted a second penalty to move clear again.
Messi and Mbappe were going head-to-head as France faced Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday, December 18.
Also in contention was Argentina's Alvarez, who had moved up to four with a double against Croatia. Olivier Giroud, on four goals, was taken off before half-time in the final to end his Golden Boot chances.
Below Mbappe, Messi, Giroud and Alvarez there were several players on three goals, but none were in the final.
Croatia's Andrej Kramaric ended on two goals, as did a number of others, including Harry Kane.
| Player | Country | Goals |
| Kylian Mbappe | France | 8 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 7 |
| Olivier Giroud | France | 4 |
| Julian Alvarez | Argentina | 4 |
| Goncalo Ramos | Portugal | 3 |
| Richarlison | Brazil | 3 |
| Bukayo Saka | England | 3 |
| Marcus Rashford | England | 3 |
| Cody Gakpo | Netherlands | 3 |
| Alvaro Morata | Spain | 3 |
| Enner Valencia | Ecuador | 3 |
| Andrej Kramaric | Croatia | 2 |
| Harry Kane | England | 2 |
How is the Golden Boot decided?
The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals at a World Cup.
If two players finish on the same number of goals the award goes to the player with fewer goals scored from penalties, then the one with more assists. If there is still more than one player, the tie-breaker since 2006 goes to the player who has played the least amount of minutes at the tournament.
Will Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo win the Golden Boot?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were both playing in likely their final World Cup - Messi confirmed as much before the final - and neither have won the Golden Boot before, and likely won't now given their ages.
Ronaldo scored in Portugal’s opening game in Qatar to become the first player to score in five consecutive World Cups. However, he did not score since and was dropped for the last-16 win over Switzerland.
Portugal were beaten by Morocco in the quarter-finals, where Ronaldo's chances ended.
Messi netted seven goals at the World Cup, including his brace in the final.
Ronaldo has eight total goals at World Cups and Messi now has 13.
Who has won the Golden Boot?
- 1930: Guillermo Stabile (Uruguay, eight goals)
- 1934: Oldrich Nejedly (Czech Republic, five goals)
- 1938: Leonidas (Brazil, seven goals)
- 1950: Ademir (Brazil, eight goals)
- 1954: Sandor Kocsis (Hungary, 11 goals)
- 1958: Just Fontaine (France, 13 goals)
- 1962: Florian Albert, Valentin Ivanov, Garrincha, Vava, Drazan Jerkovic, Leonel Sánchez (Hungary, Russia, Brazil, Brazil, Yugoslavia, Chile, all four goals)
- 1966: Eusebio (Portugal, nine goals)
- 1970: Gerd Muller (Germany, 10 goals)
- 1974: Grzegorz Lato (Poland, seven goals)
- 1978: Mario Kempes (Argentina, six goals)
- 1982: Paolo Rossi (Italy, six goals)
- 1986: Gary Lineker (England, six goals)
- 1990: Salvatore Schillaci (Italy, six goals)
- 1994: Oleg Salenko, Hristo Stoichkov (Russia, Bulgaria, both six goals)
- 1998: Davor Suker (Croatia, six goals)
- 2002: Ronaldo (Brazil, eight goals)
- 2006: Miroslav Klose (Germany, five goals)
- 2010: Thomas Muller (Germany, five goals)
- 2014: James Rodriguez (Colombia, six goals)
- 2018: Harry Kane (England, six goals)
- 2022: Kylian Mbappe (France, eight goals)
What is the Golden Ball?
The Golden Ball award is presented to the best player at each World Cup. The shortlist is chosen by FIFA and the winner is voted for by representatives of the media.
Recent winners include Croatia's Luka Modric (2018), Argentina's Messi (2014) and Uruguay's Diego Forlan (2010).
Messi won the 2022 Golden Ball award.
Who’s scored the most goals at a World Cup?
France’s Just Fontaine scored 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup.
France didn’t even reach the final, as they finished third, but Fontaine’s hat-trick in the opening game was followed by two more braces and four goals in the third place play-off, with a couple more goals along the way.
He broke Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis' record of 11 goals which was set in the previous tournament in 1954.
Muller is next on the list with 10 goals in Mexico 1970, with Portugal’s Eusebio and Brazil’s Ademir on nine goals apiece.
The lowest number of goals for the top goalscorer at a World Cup is four, which was accomplished by six players in Chile 1962.
England’s Kane was the Golden Boot winner last time out in Russia 2018 with six goals as the Three Lions finished fourth.
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