Winning the FIFA World Cup remains the ultimate goal for every player who takes the field, as lifting football's most prestigious trophy represents the pinnacle of the sport.
Beyond team success, however, the tournament also celebrates individual excellence through a range of awards, chief among them the Golden Ball, presented to the best player of the World Cup.
The Golden Ball Award was introduced at the 1982 FIFA World Cup and has since been awarded to the standout performer of each tournament. With the FIFA World Cup expanding to 48 teams and 104 matches from 2026 onwards, the level of competition is set to reach unprecedented heights, making both the race for the trophy and the battle for individual honours more fiercely contested than ever.
Also Read: The Ultimate FIFA World Cup Roll Of Honour: Every Champion Since 1930
Here's a look at every winner of the Golden Ball Award.
| FIFA World Cup | Golden Ball Winner | Team | Goals | Assists |
| 1978 Argentina | Mario Kempes | Argentina | 6 | 1 |
| 1982 Spain | Paolo Rossi | Italy | 6 | 1 |
| 1986 Mexico | Diego Maradona | Argentina | 5 | 5 |
| 1990 Italy | Salvatore Schillaci | Italy | 6 | 1 |
| 1994 USA | Romário | Brazil | 5 | 2 |
| 1998 France | Ronaldo | Brazil | 4 | 3 |
| 2002 South Korea/Japan | Oliver Kahn | Germany | - | - |
| 2006 Germany | Zinedine Zidane | France | 3 | 1 |
| 2010 South Africa | Diego Forlán | Uruguay | 5 | 1 |
| 2014 Brazil | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 4 | 1 |
| 2018 Russia | Luka Modric | Croatia | 2 | 1 |
| 2022 Qatar | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 7 | 3 |
Oliver Kahn is the only goalkeeper to win the FIFA Golden Ball award. He is also the only player in the the history of the competition to win the FIFA Golden Ball and the FIFA Golden Glove award. He won the Golden Glove award in the 2002 World Cup.
Lionel Messi is the only player to win the Golden Ball award twice.
Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona are tied for the most goal contributions by Golden Ball Winners in a single edition of a FIFA World Cup.
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