World Cup 2026: Shearer and Rooney call for reform after Mbappé’s victory at the Golden Boot

The former England captains, Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney, have called on FIFA to change its rules regarding the third-place match, arguing that statistics recorded during this match should not count towards individual awards. Their reaction comes after Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup. The French striker increased his total to ten goals with a brace scored during France’s victory over England (6-4) on Saturday in the third-place match.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi could not improve his tally during the final lost by Argentina against Spain (1-0, a.e.t.). Up against a particularly solid Spanish defense, the captain of the Albiceleste remained scoreless and finished the tournament with eight goals. Shearer believes the comparison between the two performances is unfair, as the contexts were completely different. “I watched the third-place match, and at times it looked like a friendly match. France was already out, and Mbappé scored two goals. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi was playing in a World Cup final against a Spanish team that had conceded only one goal in the entire tournament. The level of difficulty was not the same,” the former striker stated on the BBC.

Wayne Rooney shares this analysis. The former Manchester United striker believes that performances in the ranking match should not factor into the calculation of individual awards. “In my opinion, a team eliminated from the title race should no longer be able to influence individual distinctions through the third-place match. Even with the current rules, I find it quite unfair for Messi,” Rooney stated. The two former internationals argue that if Mbappé and Messi had finished with the same number of goals, the Argentine would have won the Golden Boot due to his greater number of assists.

Beyond this controversy, the final showcased Spain’s dominance. Beating Argentina after extra time, La Roja not only secured its second world title but also saw several of its players being honored during the individual awards ceremony.