Winners of the Golden Ball Awards
The Golden Ball award is presented to the best football player of the FIFA World Cup. In 2022, several top-class players will likely qualify for this award. These include Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane.
History of the Golden Ball Award
This award was first introduced in 1982 alongside other prestigious awards, such as the Golden Boot and the Golden Gloves. The tournament’s top goalscorer wins the Golden Boot, and the Golden Gloves is handed to the top goalkeeper.
Since its introduction, there have been 10 winners of the Golden Ball won by players from Italy, Argentina, and Brazil.
There are several procedures used in selecting the Golden Ball Award winner. Typically, the FIFA Technical Study Group first shortlists several players based on their stats and achievement. The list is then passed on to media members who vote for the winner.
While the overall winner is awarded the Golden Ball, the players in the second and third positions are presented with the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball, respectively.
Although the number of goals scored is often the main consideration, other factors are also deliberated. These include leadership skills, defensive prowess, and an overall positive contribution to the team.
For ardent punters, the Golden Ball, Silver Ball, and Bronze Ball winners are often an exciting betting opportunity. In the World Cup 2022, several favorite players are likely to win the Golden Ball 2022.
They include Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar. With many bookmakers offering this betting market, you can check the available
betting offersfor an additional bankroll to place your predictions
Golden Ball Winners List
1982 Spain World Cup: Paolo Rossi
The first FIFA World Cup saw Paolo Rossi win the coveted trophy. The Italian scored six goals in 7 matches. In addition to winning the Golden Ball award, he was also accorded the Golden Boot award.
In the same year, Rossi won the 1982 Ballon d’Or award. Hence, he became the first and only player in history to win all four World trophies in the same year.
1986 Mexico World Cup: Diego Maradona
During the Mexico 1986 World Cup, the legendary Diego Maradona led Argentina to win the World title.
During this tournament, he scored two of the most iconic goal; ‘the
Hand of God’ and the ‘Goal of the Century.’
1990 Italy Word Cup: Salvatore Schillaci
Although top players such as Diego Maradona and Lothar Matthaus were favourites to win the Golden Ball, Salvatore Schillaci ended up the winner.
Schillaci scored six goals in seven matches, helping Italy win the World Cup. He scooped not only the Golden Ball but also the Golden Boot award.
1994 United States World Cup: Romário de Souza Faria
In addition to helping Brazil qualify for the USA 1994 World Cup, Romario scored five goals in the World Cup tournament.
His immense contributions assisted Brazil in winning the World Cup finals.
1998 France World Cup: Ronaldo Nazario de Lima
Ronaldo scored four goals and made three assists, propelling Brazil to the finals against the hosts France.
Unfortunately, he suffered a convulsive fit that significantly impacted his final performance. His team lost 3-0.
2002 South Korea World Cup: Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn was instrumental in Germany reaching the finals in the 2002 World Cup. He kept five clean sheets but lost to Brazil 2-0 in the finals.
2006 Germany World Cup: Zinedine Zidane
Zidane played the midfield position in the 2006 World Cup. Nonetheless, he was instrumental in France’s qualification to the finals. He scored two goals and two assists.
2010 South Africa World Cup: Diego Forlán-Uruguay
Uruguay unexpectedly reached the semifinals of the 2010 world cup thanks to the relentless contributions by Diego Forlan. The forward scored five goals in seven matches.
2014 Brazil World Cup: Lionel Messi- Argentina
After many final letdowns, Argentina’s run to the finals in the Brazil World Cup was successful, thanks to the immense contribution of Lionel Messi. He scored four goals and one assist, but his team unfortunately lost to Germany 1-0.
2018 Russia World Cup: Luka Modrić- Croatia
Croatia’s captain, Luka Modric, led his team to the finals and his influence in the tournament saw him win the 2018 Golden Ball.
Although his team lost to France 4-2, he also won the Best FIFA Men’s Player award and the Ballon d’Or award in the same year.
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