Gianni Infantino has sent an unexpected message of congratulations to France captain Kylian Mbappe more than two weeks after the 2026 World Cup ended, despite facing growing criticism over a proposal involving private investment in FIFA.
Mbappe, who plays for Real Madrid, won the Golden Boot after scoring 10 goals during the tournament in North America. It was the second successive World Cup in which he finished as the competition’s leading scorer.
France ended the tournament in fourth place, while Mbappe also continued to strengthen his place in World Cup history. His 10 goals took his overall tally in the competition to 22, making him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. He is also France’s record goalscorer.
The World Cup concluded on 19 July, when Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final to lift the trophy. Infantino nevertheless chose Tuesday to publish his tribute to Mbappe through his official Instagram account.
“The amazing French star Kylian Mbappe achieved a remarkable feat at the World Cup, winning the Golden Boot for the second consecutive time thanks to scoring 10 goals during the tournament held in North America,” Infantino wrote.
He added: “He also set several records as captain of the French national team, most notably becoming the all-time leading scorer in the competition and for the French national team as well.”
Infantino’s comments come at a difficult time for the FIFA president, who has faced sharp criticism from several sides in recent days. The backlash has focused on his idea of selling some FIFA shares to investors from the private sector.
The message made no reference to the criticism surrounding FIFA or to the timing of the publication. Instead, it highlighted Mbappe’s statistical achievements after a World Cup in which France missed out on a place in the final but their captain claimed one of the tournament’s main individual awards.
Mbappe’s second consecutive Golden Boot marked the clearest individual success for a France side that finished fourth. Spain’s victory over Argentina meant the final major team prize went to the Spanish side, but Mbappe emerged from the tournament with both the scoring award and a new record for goals in World Cup history.
By recognising those achievements, Infantino drew attention to the French forward’s record-breaking campaign well after the competition had finished. His remarks focused particularly on Mbappe’s 10 goals, his record of 22 World Cup goals and his status as France’s leading scorer.
