And so it all boiled down to two men – two World Cup 2026 captains, two inspirational footballers, each chasing gold, just as had been the case in Qatar four years ago.
This time, only Lionel Messi remained in contention for the ultimate prize.
But he and Kylian Mbappe were, realistically, the sole players in the running for the Golden Boot as the individual prizes were decided.
It was a gong the Real Madrid forward claimed as tournament top scorer four years ago when Messi was awarded the Golden Ball for the best player as he lifted the most famous trophy of all.
As far as the 2026 top scorer award was concerned, Mbappe put himself in pole position with a double in the third/fourth place play-off on Saturday night – a match in which he started on the bench.
That was how it stayed.
As a result, he has become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals – one ahead of Messi – and, after winning the Golden Boot in back-to-back World Cups, is the first man to reach double figures for World Cup goals since Gerd Muller for West Germany in 1970.
Only Just Fontaine, who hit 13 for France in 1958, and Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis with 11 in 1954, have scored more individual goals in a single tournament – albeit in fewer matches.
If Mbappe delivered World Cup 2026 highlights aplenty, the man who lifted the most important trophy of all also emulated Messi by winning the ultimate individual honour.
Spain captain Rodri was masterful in midfield and took home the Golden Ball as La Roja Spain lifted the trophy for a second time.
A vital cog in a side that combines a fluid attack with watertight defence, he started all eight games for Spain and played a combined 729 minutes.
A ‘rolls royce’ of a midfielder, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has led his country to a second world title.
The European champions played with composure and maturity throughout, all this after starting out with a draw against the minnows of Cape Verde – a result no SBOTOP World Cup 2026 betting odds predicted.
Technically and tactically, no could deny they are deserved world champions now too, a run which has included victories over Portugal, Belgium, France en route to the final.
Cast your mind back four years and the awards were Argentine-dominated in 2022 as Emiliano Martínez won the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper, while the young player went to Enzo Fernández, displays during the tournament ultimately earning him a £106 million move from Benfica to Chelsea.
This time, they went the way of the winners again.
Any nation which concedes just one goal over more than a month of football is well organised.
That impressive statistic also meant Unai Simon claimed the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper after he was beaten just once in eight games.
The Athletic Bilbao Club stopper kept seven clean sheets and only conceded to Belgium’s Charles de Ketelaere in the quarter-finals as the 29 year-old repaid manager Luis de la Fuente’s faith with a series of solid performances as they were crowned champions.
The back four included Pau Cubarsi who played with a composure far beyond his years, anchoring a backline alongside the ever inspiring Aymeric Laporte and winning the young player of the tournament accolade in the process.
Cubarsi was only the second player on record (from 1966) to complete 100-plus passes in a World Cup final.
The final award was the FIFA Fair Play Trophy, won by England in 2022 and this time by Holland, who went home at the last 32 stage.
Talking of fair play, a final word for the genius of Lionel Messi who has, almost certainly, played his final World Cup game, possibly his last ever international contest.
His legacy is assured – even if the media’s contrasting treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo has been embarrassing. The diminutive Argentine was repeatedly allowed lengthy anonymous spells without any meaningful suggestion that his side would be better off without their captain.
The behaviour of his team-mate Leandro Paredes seconds after the full-time whistle was disgraceful and, after striking Eric García and then being involved in a clash with young Spaniard Gavi, he saw red.
A fairly lengthy ban probably awaits him.
By contrast, the genius of Messi, graceful in defeat, will live on forever. The tears in his eyes as he said thanked his country’s vociferous fans was almost certainly goodbye.
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