⚽ FootballWood.com Breaking soccer ⚽ news, latest match results, upcoming fixtures, life statistics, top teams and players
Related Articles
The FIFA World Cup Golden Ball is the award which is given to the best player of this competition. As the name suggests, the trophy is golden in appearance on which some changes have been made right from its start. The technical committee of FIFA makes shortlist of best players throughout the competition. Golden ball should not be confused with Golden boot as the golden shoe is presented to the top goal scorer of FIFA World Cup while this award is given to best player based on his performance. Check out the list of all Golden ball winners.
FIFA World Cup Golden Ball Winners
Given below is the list of Golden Ball winners. Those who finish at second position receives Silver ball & third place winner presented by Bronze Ball. Jose Nasazzi was the first player to win Golden ball award in first ever world cup [1930]. The Uruguayan player won it in his own nation & was responsible for first World Cup victory of Uruguay in first ever World tournament.
| FIFA World Cup | Golden Ball | Silver Ball | Bronze Ball |
| 1930 Uruguay | Jose Nasazzi | Guillermo Stabile | Jose Leandro Andrade |
| 1934 Italy | Giuseppe Meazza | Matthias Sindelar | Oldrich Nejedly |
| 1938 France | Leonidas | Silvio Piola | Gyorgy Sarosi |
| 1950 Brazil | Zizinho | Juan Schiaffino | Ademir |
| 1954 Switzerland | Ferenc Puskas | Sandor Kocsis | Fritz Walter |
| 1958 Sweden | Didi | Pele | Just Fontaine |
| 1962 Chile | Garrincha | Josef Masopust | Leonel Sanchez |
| 1966 England | Bobby Charlton | Bobby Moore | Eusebio |
| 1970 Mexico | Pele | Gerson | Gerd Muller |
| 1974 West Germany | Johan Cruyff | Franz Beckenbauer | Kazimierz Deyna |
| 1978 Argentina | Mario Kempes | Paolo Rossi | Dirceu |
| 1982 Spain | Paolo Rossi | Falcao | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge |
| 1986 Mexico | Diego Maradona | Harald Schumacher | Preden Elkjaer Larsen |
| 1990 Italy | Salvatore Schillaci | Lothar Matthaus | Diego Maradona |
| 1994 United States | Romario | Roberto Baggio | Hristo Stoichkov |
| 1998 France | Ronaldo | Davor Suker | Lilian Thuram |
| 2002 Kore/Japan | Oliver Kahn | Ronaldo | Hong Myung-Bo |
| 2006 Germany | Zinedine Zidane | Fabio Cannavaro | Andrea Pirlo |
| 2010 South Africa | Diego Forlan | Wesley Sneijder | David Villa |
| 2014 Brazil | Lionel Messi | Thomas Muller | Arjen Robben |
Golden Ball Maximum Award Winners by Nation
The Brazilian footballers have won maximum Golden ball awards in the history of FIFA World Cup. From this nation, 7 players have won it [Leonidas, Zizinho, Didi, Garrincha, Pele, Romario, Ronaldo]. In last tournament [2010 South Africa], the Uruguayan player Diego Forlan was awarded with this award. From Spain, there is only one player who won Bronze award in last world cup.
