FIFA World Cup 2026 Awards: Golden Boot, Golden Ball, Golden Glove & Young Player
The FIFA World Cup 2026 awards honour the standout players and teams of the first 48-team tournament. Four individual prizes are on offer, all confirmed around the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026: the adidas Golden Boot for the top scorer, the adidas Golden Ball for the best player, the adidas Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper, and the FIFA Young Player Award. A fifth honour, the FIFA Fair Play Award, goes to the best-behaved team.
With the tournament down to the last four, most races have narrowed to the semifinalists. Spain has reached the final, France is out, and the winner of England versus Argentina completes the lineup.
Here is what each award honours, how it is decided, and who leads the field.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Awards: Quick Facts
| Award | Honours | Chosen By | Announced |
|---|---|---|---|
| adidas Golden Boot | Top goalscorer | Goals, then assists, then fewest minutes | After the final |
| adidas Golden Ball | Best player | Media vote from a Technical Study Group shortlist | Vote closes before the final |
| adidas Golden Glove | Best goalkeeper | FIFA Technical Study Group | After the final |
| FIFA Young Player Award | Best player born on or after Jan 1, 2005 | TSG shortlist, then public vote | After the final |
| FIFA Fair Play Award | Best-behaved team | FIFA committee (points system) | End of tournament |
adidas Golden Boot 2026: Top Scorer
The adidas Golden Boot goes to the tournament’s top scorer. First awarded in 1982 as the Golden Shoe and renamed in 2010, it breaks ties by assists first, then fewest minutes played. The Silver Boot and Bronze Boot go to the runners-up.
The 2026 race is a two-man duel. France’s Kylian Mbappe and Argentina’s Lionel Messi are level on eight goals, with Mbappe ahead on the assist tiebreaker. Norway’s Erling Haaland finished on seven, while England pair Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane sit on six each.
France and Norway are out, which freezes the Mbappe and Haaland totals, so only Messi, Bellingham and Kane can still add to theirs.
| Player | Nation | Goals | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappe | France | 8 | Eliminated (total frozen) |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 8 | In semifinal |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | 7 | Eliminated (total frozen) |
| Jude Bellingham | England | 6 | In semifinal |
| Harry Kane | England | 6 | In semifinal |
For the full, updated leaderboard, see the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot standings.
adidas Golden Ball 2026: Best Player
The adidas Golden Ball is the World Cup’s best-player award, football’s version of a most valuable player prize. Introduced in 1982 with Italy’s Paolo Rossi as the first winner, it is decided by a vote of accredited media from a shortlist drawn up by FIFA’s Technical Study Group. Lionel Messi is the only two-time winner, in 2014 and 2022, and the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball go to the runners-up.
The vote usually closes before the final, so a player on the losing side can still win. Messi did so in 2014, as did Zinedine Zidane in 2006, and only twice has the top scorer also taken the Golden Ball. France’s semifinal exit dented the cases of Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, pushing Spain’s Rodri and Lamine Yamal up the order.
Messi remains a strong candidate on both form and farewell narrative, while England’s Bellingham has surged after back-to-back knockout braces. The winner will almost certainly come from the two finalists.
adidas Golden Glove 2026: Best Goalkeeper
The adidas Golden Glove honours the best goalkeeper. Introduced in 1994 as the Lev Yashin Award and renamed in 2010, it is chosen by FIFA’s Technical Study Group, which weighs clean sheets most heavily alongside save quality, command of the penalty area and how far the team advances. Three of every four winners since 1994 reached the final.
Spain’s Unai Simon leads on numbers, with five clean sheets and a 649-minute shutout streak, the longest at a single World Cup, before Belgium finally beat him. France’s Mike Maignan kept four clean sheets but is now eliminated.
England’s Jordan Pickford stays live with two clean sheets, and Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez, the 2022 winner and the finest penalty-shootout goalkeeper in the game, is chasing the first back-to-back Golden Glove despite a leakier knockout run.
| Goalkeeper | Nation | Clean Sheets | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unai Simon | Spain | 5 | Record 649-minute shutout streak |
| Mike Maignan | France | 4 | Eliminated at semifinal stage |
| Jordan Pickford | England | 2 | Known for clutch saves |
| Emiliano Martinez | Argentina | 2 | 2022 winner, penalty specialist |
FIFA Young Player Award 2026: Best Young Player
The FIFA Young Player Award, presented by Aramco, goes to the best player aged 21 or under, meaning anyone born on or after January 1, 2005. FIFA’s Technical Study Group shortlists six candidates, and the public then votes for the winner.
Presented since 2006, past winners include Paul Pogba (2014), Kylian Mbappe (2018) and Enzo Fernandez (2022). Only three winners in the award’s history have been on the World Cup-winning team.
Spain’s Lamine Yamal has led this race throughout. The Barcelona winger, who turned 19 during the tournament and finished runner-up for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, remains Spain’s young talisman as they reach the final.
Teammate Pau Cubarsi offers Spain a second candidate through the tournament’s meanest defence, though no defender has won the award in more than 40 years. France’s Desire Doue faded with his nation’s exit, while England’s Nico O’Reilly needs a deep run. Brazil’s Endrick and Turkiye’s Arda Guler are already out.
FIFA Fair Play Award 2026
The FIFA Fair Play Award is the tournament’s one team honour beyond the trophy. It goes to the side with the best disciplinary and sporting record among teams that reach the knockout rounds, scored on cards and positive play, and is confirmed at the end of the tournament. A team knocked out in the bracket can still win it.
When are the 2026 World Cup Awards Announced?
Most 2026 World Cup awards are confirmed at MetLife Stadium around the July 19 final. The exception is the Golden Ball, whose media vote closes before kickoff, so its winner is effectively decided before the final is even played.
World Cup Award Winners: Recent History
The table below shows the winners of the four main individual awards at the two most recent World Cups, a useful reference for the 2026 races. A complete archive of past winners is maintained on Wikipedia’s FIFA World Cup awards page.
| Award | 2018 Russia | 2022 Qatar |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot | Harry Kane (England) | Kylian Mbappe (France) |
| Golden Ball | Luka Modric (Croatia) | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| Golden Glove | Thibaut Courtois (Belgium) | Emiliano Martinez (Argentina) |
| Young Player | Kylian Mbappe (France) | Enzo Fernandez (Argentina) |
The FIFA World Cup 2026 awards will crown the best scorer, best player, best goalkeeper and best young talent when the champions are decided on July 19 at MetLife Stadium.
With Spain through and one semifinal still to play, several races remain open, and the Golden Ball vote lands before the final even kicks off. Winners will be confirmed here as they are announced.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Awards FAQ
How many awards are given at the 2026 World Cup?
Five in total: four individual prizes, the adidas Golden Boot, Golden Ball and Golden Glove plus the FIFA Young Player Award, and one team prize, the FIFA Fair Play Award.
Can a player win the Golden Ball if his team loses the final?
Yes. The Golden Ball vote usually closes before the final kicks off, so a losing finalist can still win. Lionel Messi (2014) and Zinedine Zidane (2006) both did.
How is the FIFA Young Player Award decided?
FIFA’s Technical Study Group draws up a shortlist of six candidates, and the public votes for the winner. Only players born on or after January 1, 2005 are eligible for the 2026 award.
Who has won the most World Cup Golden Balls?
Lionel Messi, the only player to win it twice, in 2014 and again in 2022. No other player has won the Golden Ball more than once.
Can the same player win two World Cup awards?
Yes. A top scorer can also take the Golden Ball, and a goalkeeper stays eligible for it too. Paolo Rossi won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball together in 1982.
When are the 2026 World Cup awards announced?
The Golden Ball vote closes before the July 19 final, while the Golden Boot, Golden Glove and Young Player Award are confirmed after it. The Fair Play Award is decided at the end of the tournament.
