When the final whistle blows on the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19, one player will walk away with more than just memories of the tournament. Beyond lifting the World Cup trophy or collecting a runners-up medal, the competition’s standout performer will receive one of football’s most prestigious individual honors: the adidas Golden Ball.

Unlike the Golden Boot, which recognizes the tournament’s top scorer, the adidas Golden Ball is awarded to the player judged to have made the greatest overall impact throughout the World Cup. Often regarded as football’s equivalent of the MVP award, it has been won by some of the game’s greatest icons, including Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and Lionel Messi, who is the only player to have claimed the honor twice.

What is the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball award?

The FIFA World Cup Golden Ball is the official “best player of the tournament” award. It’s given to the one player judged to have had the biggest overall impact across the entire World Cup, not just the final, not just the knockout rounds, but the full body of work from the group stage onwards.

The award was first introduced in 1982 at the World Cup in Spain, and since then it has gone to some of the biggest names in the sport, from Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane to Lionel Messi. It’s separate from the Golden Boot (top scorer) and totally different from the Ballon d’Or, even though both literally mean “Golden Ball”.

How is the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner decided?

The Golden Ball isn’t decided by a simple stat line like goals or assists. Instead, FIFA uses a two‑step process: first, a shortlist is created, and then the winner is chosen from that list by voting.

The shortlist is drawn up by the FIFA Technical Study Group, a panel that includes former top‑level coaches, players, and analysts who track every game during the tournament. Once that shortlist is in place, members of the international football media cast votes for their preferred candidate from that group.

The player with the most votes wins the Golden Ball, while second and third in the voting receive the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball. Think of it as a hybrid between an expert scouting report and a media MVP ballot.

Who votes for the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball?

The winner of the adidas Golden Ball is selected by FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG), a panel of experienced coaches, former players and football experts that analyzes performances throughout the tournament. Unlike fan-voted awards, the Golden Ball is decided by technical experts rather than supporters or journalists.

While FIFA does not publish a fixed voting formula, the panel evaluates a player’s overall influence across the tournament rather than relying on a single statistic. Factors such as attacking and defensive contributions, consistency, leadership, performances in high-pressure matches and the player’s role in their team’s success are all taken into account.

As a result, the award often goes to the footballer judged to have had the greatest overall impact on the World Cup, regardless of whether they finished as the tournament’s top scorer.

What criteria are used to select the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner?

Voters don’t stick to a strict rule or any formula; rather, they tend to focus on common elements in their decision. They look at overall individual performance, how critical this particular individual was to the team’s success, and, finally, whether the team was successful.

They back up their choices with statistical figures such as goals, assists, and sometimes defensive contributions or clean sheets, depending on the player’s position. The voters also take into account factors such as maintaining consistency across matches in pressure situations, being a leader, and showing good sportsmanship. 

The Golden Ball is an award for the player who “had the best overall impact on the entire tournament.”  This player may be the one who brought a weaker team far in the tournament, or may even be the central figure of a champion team. As soon as the shortlist is announced, fans on social media start supporting different candidates.

After Qatar 2022, one viral message was, “The Golden Ball shouldn’t just be about stats; it’s about who made this World Cup unforgettable.” That kind of message reflects the emotional aspect of these debates when the final candidates are unveiled.

Can a player win the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball without winning the tournament?

The Golden Ball does not mean being the winner of the competition but being the best player in the entire World Cup competition. There have been numerous instances in history when footballers have come second or lost the final but walked away with the Golden Ball because of their brilliant performances.

Recent tournaments have underlined this point: in some editions, the Golden Ball winner came from the runners‑up or a team that fell short in the final, even when a teammate or opponent picked up the Golden Boot. A popular explainer clip on the 2026 awards put it nicely: “The Golden Boot rewards the top scorer. The Golden Ball rewards the player who owned the tournament,” reminding fans that you can be the story of the World Cup even if your medal isn’t gold.