World Cup 2022 top scorers: Mbappe wins Golden Boot with final hattrick

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
• 7 min read

Kylian Mbappe won the World Cup 2022 Golden Boot with eight goals, beating Lionel Messi to the prize after a thrilling World Cup final.

Mbappe became the first player since 1966 to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final in a thrilling 3-3 draw after extra time, which Argentina eventually won 4-2 on penalties.

That treble took him on to eight goals for the tournament, one more than Messi.

Messi scored twice himself in the final, once with a penalty and then again in extra time.

Julian Alvarez and Olivier Giroud finished on four goals, with neither making a mark on the final.

A group of seven players, including Cody Gakpo, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Goncalo Ramos all ended on three goals.

On Saturday, the third-placed playoff between Croatia and Morocco saw the European side run out 2-1 winners. All the scorers in the game had previously drawn a blank in the competition.

Josko Gvardiol, whose performances have made him a target for some major clubs, headed the opener only for it to be cancelled out by Achraf Dari. Dynamo Kyiv's Mislav Orsic scored a brilliant winner with a shot from a tight angle.

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Who won the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot?

The final Golden Boot standings in Qatar are as follows:

The 2022 World Cup Golden Boot was always set to be fiercely contested, with a host of top-class players in the running to finish top scorer.

England talisman Kane went into the World Cup as favourite to win the Golden Boot.

The Spurs striker finished top scorer at Russia 2018, finding the back of the net six times as England reached the semi-finals. He only scored twice in Qatar.

France won the 2018 World Cup, partly thanks to the brilliance of Mbappe. The PSG superstar went in as second favourite to become top-scorer in Qatar.

Karim Benzema was third favourite to win the Golden Boot but was ruled out of the tournament with injury just days before it got underway.

Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both played in their fifth World Cups, looking to crown their legendary careers by not only winning the tournament but by also claiming the Golden Boot. Ronaldo was eliminated after scoring just one goal.

World Cup Golden Boot Winners

*The six players who all top-scored with four goals in 1962 were Florian Albert (Hungary), Valentin Ivanov (USSR), Vava and Garrincha (Brazil), Drazan Jerkovic (Yugoslavia) and Leonel Sanchez (Chile).

Germany legend Miroslav Klose is the World Cup all-time top scorer with 16 goals.

He is followed by Brazil legend Ronaldo with 15 goals, Gerd Muller with 14, Just Fontaine with 13 and Mbappe and Pele with 12.

What are the World Cup Golden Boot tiebreaker rules?

If two or more players finish level on goals at the top of the standings, the Golden Boot goes to the player with the most assists.

We have the final standings for top assists at the 2022 World Cup and you can check them out by clicking here.