The list of players who received the Golden Ball as the best player of the competition. 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 CupGolden BallTeam’s finishChampion1982Paolo Rossi (Italy)ChampionsItaly1986Diego Maradona (Argentina)ChampionsArgentina1990Salvatore Schillaci (Italy)Third placeWest Germany1994Romário (Brazil)ChampionsBrazil1998Ronaldo (Brazil)Runners-upFrance2002Oliver Kahn (Germany)Runners-upBrazil2006Zinedine Zidane (France)Runners-upItaly2010Diego Forlán (Uruguay)Fourth placeSpain2014Lionel Messi (Argentina)Runners-upGermany2018Luka Modrić (Croatia)Runners-upFrance2022Lionel Messi (Argentina)ChampionsArgentina2026Rodri (Spain)ChampionsSpain*In 1978, a group of journalists voted Mario Kempes as the tournament’s best player after Argentina won the title. Paolo Rossi and Dirceu finished second and third, respectively. FIFA recognizes this unofficial award in its records.