The World Cup is not only about lifting the trophy. It also creates a parallel race for the tournament's biggest individual honours, from the top scorer to the best goalkeeper and the best young player.
This guide brings all of the major World Cup 2026 awards into one place, explains what each one means, and summarises the strongest early watchlist angles before kickoff.
Quick Answer
The main World Cup awards are the Golden Boot, Golden Glove, Golden Ball, Best Young Player and Fair Play Award. Based on current evidence, Mbappe, Donnarumma, Dembele and Lamine Yamal are among the clearest early names to watch in the biggest categories, while the Fair Play Award is still yet to be confirmed for any true favourite.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot
The Golden Boot goes to the tournament's top scorer, with assists and then minutes played breaking ties. Mbappe starts as the headline name because he won the 2022 version with eight goals, while Harry Kane and Haaland remain close enough to matter.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Glove
The Golden Glove goes to the best goalkeeper rather than simply the keeper with the most clean sheets. Gianluigi Donnarumma starts with the strongest recent award case, but Emiliano Martinez remains central to the race as the reigning World Cup winner.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Ball
The Golden Ball is the player-of-the-tournament award and is decided by overall influence rather than one statistic. Ousmane Dembele has one of the strongest recent club-honours cases, but Mbappe, Messi and Jude Bellingham keep the race open.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Best Young Player
This award usually goes to the best eligible young player in the tournament. The exact 2026 age cutoff is still yet to be confirmed, but Lamine Yamal, Desire Doue and Kenan Yildiz are among the early names worth watching if FIFA keeps the recent age-based model.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Fair Play Award
The Fair Play Award is based on discipline and conduct over the whole tournament. England is the most recent verified winner from 2022, while Brazil and Spain bring the strongest verified all-time history into 2026.
All Awards Summary
| Award | What It Is | How Decided | 2022 Winner | Early 2026 Watchlist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot | Top scorer | Goals, then assists, then minutes | Kylian Mbappe | Mbappe, Kane, Haaland |
| Golden Glove | Best goalkeeper | FIFA Technical Study Group decision | Emiliano Martinez | Donnarumma, Martinez |
| Golden Ball | Best overall player | FIFA Technical Study Group decision | Lionel Messi | Dembele, Mbappe, Bellingham |
| Best Young Player | Best eligible young player | Recent FIFA model uses young-player eligibility and fan vote | Enzo Fernandez | Yamal, Doue, Yildiz |
| Fair Play Award | Best discipline and conduct | Fair-play rules and conduct criteria | England | England, Brazil, Spain |
Frequently Asked Questions
The major World Cup awards include the Golden Boot, Golden Ball, Golden Glove, Best Young Player and the Fair Play Award.
Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot at Qatar 2022 with eight goals.
Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament in Qatar.
Emiliano Martinez won the Golden Glove for Argentina.
Mbappe, Donnarumma, Dembele and Lamine Yamal are among the clearest early names to watch, while the Fair Play Award remains the hardest category to call before kickoff.
Conclusion
Each World Cup award tells a different story: scoring, control, goalkeeping, youth or discipline. Taken together, they become one of the best ways to read the tournament after the final whistle.
The 2026 field already looks strong enough to produce memorable races in every category. The safest way to read the page today is as an early guide and watchlist, not as a final locked ranking.