While the main goal for every player at the World Cup is to lift the trophy, individual awards also carry great prestige because the tournament features the best players in the world. The Golden Ball is awarded to the best player of the tournament, with the winner voted by media representatives from a shortlist selected by FIFA’s Technical Study Group.
The list of winners features a remarkable group of players, even if some all-time greats such as Pelé never received the award. That had nothing to do with his performances, as the Golden Ball was only introduced in 1982. Unlike most individual awards, the players finishing second and third in the voting also receive the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball, respectively.
The award has been won by some of the greatest players in soccer history, with Lionel Messi remaining the only player to receive it twice. Even goalkeepers have their own positional honor, the Golden Glove, they are also eligible for the Golden Ball. Oliver Kahn remains the only goalkeeper to win the tournament’s MVP award after doing so in 2002.
Golden Ball winners
| World Cup | Golden Ball | Team’s finish | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi (Italy) | Champions | Italy |
| 1986 | Diego Maradona (Argentina) | Champions | Argentina |
| 1990 | Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) | Third place | West Germany |
| 1994 | Romário (Brazil) | Champions | Brazil |
| 1998 | Ronaldo (Brazil) | Runners-up | France |
| 2002 | Oliver Kahn (Germany) | Runners-up | Brazil |
| 2006 | Zinedine Zidane (France) | Runners-up | Italy |
| 2010 | Diego Forlán (Uruguay) | Fourth place | Spain |
| 2014 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) | Runners-up | Germany |
| 2018 | Luka Modrić (Croatia) | Runners-up | France |
| 2022 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) | Champions | Argentina |
| 2026 | Rodri (Spain) | Champions | Spain |
