World Cup 2026: Full top scorers chart at the end of tournament

France captain Kylian Mbappe finished as the top scorer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with 10 goals, retaining the Golden Boot despite Les Bleus falling short of the final.

Mbappe’s tally proved enough to secure the award after Argentina captain Lionel Messi failed to score in the final, where Spain defeated the defending champions 1-0 after extra time to lift their second World Cup title.

Messi finished second in the standings with eight goals, while Norway striker Erling Haaland and England midfielder Jude Bellingham shared third place with seven goals each.

Top 10 scorers at the 2026 World Cup

African scorers make their mark

Several African players featured prominently among the tournament’s leading scorers, underlining the continent’s growing impact on football’s biggest stage.

Senegal winger Ismaila Sarr finished as Africa’s highest scorer with four goals, while Morocco’s Ismael Saibari scored three times during the Atlas Lions’ run.

Other African players to find the net included:

• Morocco: Soufyan Rahimi (2), Azzedine Ounahi (2), Achraf Hakimi (1), Yassin Jassim (1), Issa Diop (1)
• Senegal: Bab Jayi (2), Habib Diarra (2), Ibrahim Mbaye (1), Elieman Ndiaye (1)
• Egypt: Emam Ashour (2), Mostafa Zico (2), Mohamed Salah (1), Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet (1), Mahmoud Saber (1), Yasser Ibrahim (1)
• Algeria: Riyad Mahrez (2), Nadhir Ben Bouali (1), Amine Gouiri (1), Rafik Belghali (1)
• Ivory Coast: Nicolas Pepe (2), Amad Diallo (2), Franck Kessie (1)
• South Africa: Teboho Mokoena (1), Thapelo Maseko (1)
• Ghana: Caleb Yirenkyi (1), Derek Lucassen (1)
• Cape Verde: Kevin Lenini (1), Helio Varela (1), Deroy Duarte (1), Sidney Lubesh Cabral (1)
• DR Congo: Yoane Wissa (3), Fiston Mayele (1), Brian Sebinga (1)
• Tunisia: Omar Al-Raqiq (1)

Mbappe extends World Cup legacy

Mbappe’s 10-goal haul ensured he retained the Golden Boot after also finishing as the tournament’s top scorer at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The French forward also strengthened his place in World Cup history by extending his career tally to 22 goals, leaving him one ahead of Messi, who ends his World Cup career with 21 goals.

Spain may have lifted the trophy in the United States, Canada and Mexico, but Mbappe’s clinical finishing ensured he finished the tournament as its most prolific goalscorer, while African players once again demonstrated the continent’s growing influence with a series of standout attacking performances.