The 2026 World Cup is over, Spain are champions, and the individual awards have been handed out. Here are the 2026 world cup awards winners across every major category, from the Golden Boot to the Young Player, the numbers behind each winner, and the players who came closest to claiming them.
Golden Boot: Kylian Mbappe (France) — 10 Goals, 4 Assists
Mbappe won the Golden Boot for the second consecutive World Cup, finishing with 10 goals and four assists in eight matches, the most goals by a single player at a World Cup since Gerd Muller scored 10 in 1970. His two goals in the third-place match against England took him past Messi for the all-time career World Cup scoring record, finishing with 22. The runners-up: Lionel Messi (8 goals, 4 assists) took the Silver Boot, and Jude Bellingham (7 goals, 2 assists) earned the Bronze Boot.
Golden Ball: Rodri (Spain) — Best Player
Spain’s midfield anchor won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best overall player, edging out Messi for the Silver Ball and Mbappe for the Bronze Ball. Rodri’s dominance was not about goals or assists but about control: Spain’s possession game ran through him, and his defensive positioning was central to the tournament’s best defense. The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner added the World Cup’s highest individual honor to his collection.
Golden Glove: Unai Simon (Spain) — 7 Clean Sheets
Simon kept seven clean sheets in eight matches, two more than the previous single-tournament record. He conceded just once, the Torres-sealed final being the only match where he was beaten, and even then only after the goal was scored by his own teammate’s feed. His nine career World Cup clean sheets are one short of the all-time record shared by Fabien Barthez and Peter Shilton.
Young Player Award: Pau Cubarsi (Spain)
The 19-year-old Barcelona center-back was the heartbeat of Spain’s record-setting defense, playing every minute of the tournament and combining composure with an aerial presence well beyond his years. His partnership with Laporte was the best defensive pairing at the tournament, and the foul by Fernandez that earned the red card in the final was committed against Cubarsi, a testament to how much he frustrated Argentina’s attack.
All Awards at a Glance
| Award | Winner | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot | Kylian Mbappe (France) | 10 goals, 4 assists |
| Silver Boot | Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 8 goals, 4 assists |
| Bronze Boot | Jude Bellingham (England) | 7 goals, 2 assists |
| Golden Ball | Rodri (Spain) | Best player |
| Silver Ball | Lionel Messi (Argentina) | — |
| Bronze Ball | Kylian Mbappe (France) | — |
| Golden Glove | Unai Simon (Spain) | 7 clean sheets (record) |
| Young Player | Pau Cubarsi (Spain) | Every minute played |
The Assist King
One award that does not carry a trophy but deserves recognition: France’s Michael Olise finished with seven assists, the most by any player at a single World Cup in the tournament’s history. His creativity from the right wing, particularly in the 6-4 third-place match against England where he assisted both Mbappe goals, was one of the tournament’s defining individual performances. For how all these awards are determined, see our Golden Boot, Golden Ball and Golden Glove explainer. Official results at FIFA.com.
