Wayne Rooney says Lionel Messi ‘unfairly’ denied World Cup Golden Boot by Kylian Mbappe

Wayne Rooney has claimed Lionel Messi was deprived of the World Cup Golden Boot “in a very unfair way” after Kylian Mbappe finished as the tournament’s top scorer thanks to goals in the third-place play-off.

Messi, 39, endured a double disappointment on Sunday night as Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the World Cup final and he missed out on the top-scorer award.

Mbappe, 27, went into the final already leading the charts with 10 goals, having struck twice – France’s first and third – in a 6-4 defeat by England in the third-place match in Miami, Florida, on Saturday.

Under the tournament rules, those goals counted towards the race for the Golden Boot, leaving Messi needing at least two goals in the final just to draw level with the France and Real Madrid forward.

Fine margins in Golden Boot race

Had Messi scored twice against Spain, both players would have finished with 10 goals and four assists each.

One further assist from the Argentina captain in the final – on top of those two goals – would have seen him take the Golden Boot on the assists tiebreaker.

Instead, Spain’s tight defence, which had conceded only one goal before the final, kept Messi and Argentina out, sealing the trophy and leaving Mbappe as the competition’s outright leading scorer.

Rooney questions value of third‐place goals

Speaking on BBC Sport, former England striker Rooney openly questioned whether goals in a third-place play-off should carry the same weight as those scored earlier in the knock-out stages.

He said: “I think France went out of the tournament… listen, I don’t think it should count. Obviously it counts, but I think it’s really unfair on Messi.”

Rooney was referring to the fact that France, already eliminated from contention for the title, faced England in what was effectively a consolation fixture in Florida – a match in which Mbappe added to his tally despite his side ultimately losing.

‘Like a testimonial’ – Shearer on England v France

Rooney’s former England team-mate Alan Shearer also played down the competitive intensity of the third-place encounter.

He described England’s 6-4 victory over France as having the feel of a friendly, rather than a World Cup match with genuine stakes.

He said: “I was looking at yesterday’s game, the way it was played, as a testimonial game,” highlighting that Mbappe’s two goals came only after France had already been knocked out of the running for the main prize.

Messi’s task ‘much more difficult’

Rooney contrasted the circumstances of Mbappe’s goals in Miami with the challenge facing Messi against Spain’s miserly defence in the final.

He concluded: “Lionel Messi is playing in a World Cup final against a Spain team who have only conceded one goal, which is far, far more difficult.”

While there is no suggestion that the rules were applied incorrectly, Rooney’s comments will fuel debate over whether goals scored in a low‐intensity third-place play-off should be weighted differently when major individual awards, such as the Golden Boot, are decided.