The Golden Ball is the World Cup's best player award. Not best scorer (that is the Golden Boot) or best goalkeeper (Golden Glove) — best player, period. Whoever was most influential across the entire tournament.
How It Is Decided
The Golden Ball is voted on by a panel of media representatives and FIFA officials at the end of the tournament. There is no strict statistical formula — it is a judgment call based on overall contribution, impact on key matches, and quality of performance. The winner does not have to be from the team that wins the tournament, though the two often go hand in hand.
Famous Winners
Zinedine Zidane (1998 and controversially 2006 despite his red card), Ronaldo Nazário (2002), Fabio Cannavaro (2006, rare for a defender), Diego Forlán (2010), Lionel Messi (2014 and 2022). Messi's 2014 award was controversial — many argued that James Rodríguez or Manuel Neuer deserved it. His 2022 award, leading Argentina to glory with 7 goals and 3 assists, was universally acclaimed.
Lionel Messi, making what is widely expected to be his final World Cup appearance at WC26, will be one of the sentimental and statistical favorites for a third Golden Ball. Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and a potential breakout star from the co-host nations will also be in contention.
