Golden Ball
The Golden Ball award is presented to the best player at each FIFA World Cup finals, with a shortlist drawn up by the FIFA technical committee and the winner voted for by representatives of the media. Those who finish as runners-up in media voting receive the adidas Silver Ball and Bronze Ball awards as the 2nd and 3rd most outstanding players in the tournament respectively.
World Cup | Golden Ball | Silver Ball | Bronze Ball |
1930 Uruguay | Jose Nasazzi | Guillermo Stábile | José Leandro Andrade |
1934 Italy | Giuseppe Meazza | Ricardo Zamora | Oldřich Nejedlý |
1938 France | Leônidas | Silvio Piola | György Sárosi |
1950 Brazil | Zizinho | Juan Schiaffino | Ademir |
1954 Switzerland | Ferenc Puskás | Sándor Kocsis | Fritz Walter |
1958 Sweden | Didi | Pele | Raymond Kopa |
1962 Chile | Garrincha | Josef Masopust | Leonel Sánchez |
1966 England | Bobby Charlton | Bobby Moore | Eusébio |
1970 Mexico | Pele | Gerson | Bobby Moore |
1974 West Germany | Johan Cruijff | Franz Beckenbauer | Kazimierz Deyna |
1978 Argentina | Mario Kempes | Paolo Rossi | Dirceu |
1982 Spain | Paolo Rossi | Falcão | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge |
1986 Mexico | Diego Maradona | Harald Schumacher | Preben Elkjær |
1990 Italy | Salvatore Schillaci | Lothar Matthäus | Diego Maradona |
1994 USA | Romário | Roberto Baggio | Hristo Stoichkov |
1998 France | Ronaldo | Davor Šuker | Lilian Thuram |
2002 Korea/Japan | Oliver Kahn | Ronaldo | Hong Myung-Bo |
2006 Germany | Zinedine Zidane | Fabio Cannavaro | Andrea Pirlo |
This Award was first awarded in 1982.
