On July 22, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) announced the results of its Best Player award for the 2026 World Cup. Following a global vote by sports journalists, 39-year-old Lionel Messi was ultimately named the best player of the tournament.
The voting results showed that Messi received 1179 points, leading Mbappe and Bellingham by a significant margin.
The complete top three are as follows:
Messi (Argentina): 1179 points, 301 journalists voted in favor.
Mbappe (France): 717 points, 245 journalists voted in favor.
Bellingham (England): 470 points, 168 journalists voted in favor.
A six-time World Cup legend, Messi continues to make history.
In the 2026 World Cup, Messi, at the age of 39, will participate in his sixth World Cup, becoming one of only three players in history to accomplish this feat.
Although Argentina ultimately failed to defend their title, losing to Spain in the final, Messi's performance throughout the tournament was still impressive.
In this World Cup, Messi played 8 matches for Argentina, contributing 8 goals and 4 assists, and repeatedly helping the team turn the tide in crucial moments. Argentina weathered extra time challenges all the way to the final, and Messi was undoubtedly the team's core driving force.
According to the data, Messi continues to break multiple World Cup records:
Most appearances in World Cup history: 34
Most World Cup wins in history: 23
Most appearances in World Cup knockout stages: 17
Most assists in World Cup history: 12
Scoring in 9 consecutive World Cup matches
Furthermore, Messi became the only player in history to score in the World Cup before, after, and after the age of 20.
In his six World Cup appearances, Messi led Argentina to the final three times, winning the title in Qatar in 2022. He is also the only player to have won the World Cup Best Player award twice.
After the final defeat, Messi expressed his regret on social media: "The pain is immense, and it will take time for the wounds to heal. But I also choose to cherish all the good things, cherish the moments when we fought so hard to turn the game around, and the moments that will stay in my memory forever."
Mbappe wins Golden Boot for the second consecutive year, breaking the World Cup goal record.
French captain Kylian Mbappé is ranked second. The 27-year-old Mbappé will continue to showcase his top-class attacking prowess at the 2026 World Cup, helping France reach the semi-finals for the third consecutive World Cup.
In this tournament, Mbappe scored 10 goals, bringing his career World Cup total to 22, surpassing the previous World Cup goal record held by German legend Klose, and becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.
France ultimately lost 4-6 to England in the third-place match. Mbappe, with a brace in that game, successfully defended his World Cup Golden Boot title.
He also became the first player in World Cup history to win the Golden Boot twice, further solidifying his status as one of the world's top strikers.
Bellingham helped England set a new World Cup record for the club.
England midfielder Bellingham is ranked third.
As a key figure in England's 2026 World Cup campaign, 23-year-old Bellingham scored 7 goals in the tournament, helping his team ultimately win third place.
His seven goals set a new record for England's highest number of goals in a single World Cup tournament, and also represent the highest number of goals scored by a midfielder in World Cup history. Bellingham was particularly outstanding in the knockout stages, scoring twice in both the Round of 16 match against Mexico and the quarter-final against Norway, becoming the first player since Maradona in 1986 to score two goals in consecutive World Cup knockout matches.
AIPS World Cup Best Player Voting Rules
This selection was open to all AIPS registered journalists and journalists participating in the AIPS World Cup Hotline project, with a total of 472 journalists from 121 countries participating.
Each journalist is required to select their three best players for the 2026 World Cup based on their personal choices:
The first place winner receives 5 points.
The second place team gets 3 points.
The third place player receives 1 point.
A total of 20 players were ultimately selected for the shortlist.
AIPS World Cup Best Player Rankings (Top 10)
Messi (Argentina) – 1179 points
Mbappe (France) – 717 points
Bellingham (England) - 470 points
Haaland (Norway) – 460 points
Yamal (Spain) – 304 points
Rodri (Spain) – 285 points
Voznia (Cape Verde) – 189 points
Kane (England) - 130 points
Oyarzabal (Spain) - 118 points
Orisse (France) – 91 points
The association stated that this vote covered multiple countries and regions around the world, reflecting the comprehensive evaluation of player performances by global sports media journalists for the 2026 World Cup.
