Lionel Messi narrowly missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup golden shoe and boot award after Argentina lost the summit clash to Spain 1-0.

Here's how the French star won the Golden Boot award despite not appearing at the World Cup final.

The outcome saw Messi finish with eight goals and four assists, losing the Golden Boot to France superstar Kylian Mbappé.

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup final, Argentina's official English account recreated BTS' ARIRANG album poster using its star footballers. The striking visual quickly caught fans' attention, with many manifesting a meeting between Lionel Messi and Bangtan Boys.

The Three Lions took the lead less than three minutes in with Declan Rice’s long-range goal, then Ezri Konsa headed home Rice’s corner 15 minutes later to double England’s lead. Bukayo Saka added two before the halftime whistle as England took a stunning 4-0 lead into the break.

Kylian Mbappé now has 22 FIFA World Cup goals in his career, surpassing Lionel Messi (21) for the most all-time (Messi is expected to play in the final