Kylian Mbappé recorded the best finish of his Ballon d’Or career, placing second behind Harry Kane, but left the ceremony with mixed feelings. The Frenchman traveled to London believing he had a genuine chance to win soccer’s most prestigious individual award, and the race remained in doubt until the very end.

Mbappe scored 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup, two more than his nearest rival Messi (Buda Mendes/Getty Images) Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final At last, it is official.

Kylian Mbappé now leads the Golden Boot race with 10 goals after scoring twice in France's 6-4 loss to England in the FIFA World Cup's third-place game on Saturday in Miami. He's now the favorite to win the honor this year, but Argentina star Lionel Messi ...