World Cup Golden Ball Winners: The Full List and the 2026 Race

Last updated: Jul 2, 2026

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What is the World Cup Golden Ball?

The Golden Ball is the official award for the best individual player at each FIFA World Cup, sponsored by adidas and voted on by accredited media at the tournament. Voting closes before the final, so a player on the losing side can still win it — the runners-up receive the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball.

First awarded: 1982, at the World Cup in Spain.
Who votes: accredited media at the tournament, per FIFA.
Separate from the Golden Boot: the Boot goes to the top scorer, the Ball to the best overall player.
Not always the champion: the winner often comes from a team that did not lift the trophy.

Every World Cup Golden Ball winner (1982–2022)

Eleven Golden Balls have been awarded since 1982, and only Lionel Messi has won it more than once. The full list below is confirmed by FIFA and Olympics.com.

Year	Player	Country
1982	Paolo Rossi	Italy
1986	Diego Maradona	Argentina
1990	Salvatore Schillaci	Italy
1994	Romário	Brazil
1998	Ronaldo	Brazil
2002	Oliver Kahn	Germany
2006	Zinedine Zidane	France
2010	Diego Forlán	Uruguay
2014	Lionel Messi	Argentina
2018	Luka Modrić	Croatia
2022	Lionel Messi	Argentina

Argentina leads the count with three wins, thanks to Maradona in 1986 and Messi in both 2014 and 2022. Italy and Brazil have two apiece.

World Cup Golden Ball records and standout facts

Lionel Messi is the only two-time Golden Ball winner, having taken it in 2014 and 2022. A few other records stand out across the award’s history.

Only goalkeeper to win: Oliver Kahn of Germany in 2002, per FIFA.
Winners from non-champion teams: Zidane (2006), Forlán (2010), Messi (2014) and Modrić (2018) all won despite their side falling short of the trophy.
Golden Ball and Golden Boot together: Paolo Rossi managed both at the 1982 World Cup, a rare double.
Most decorated nation: Argentina, with three Golden Balls.

The 2002 award to Kahn remains the most unusual result, as noted by Olympics.com. He won it despite his error in the final helping Brazil to victory.

The 2026 Golden Ball race so far

According to FOX Sports odds published on 1 July 2026 and Goal.com’s power rankings, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi are the two names rated most highly for the Golden Ball as the tournament enters its Round of 32 knockout matches — though the race remains wide open. The award is only decided by media vote once the tournament ends on 19 July, so any “leader” named at this stage is speculative and provisional.

Kylian Mbappé (France): the bookmakers’ favourite at the time of writing, with six goals in four matches including a brace against Sweden.
Lionel Messi (Argentina): the joint-leading scorer with five goals, including a hat-trick against Algeria, and the only two-time winner in the award’s history.
Michael Olise (France): the reigning Bundesliga Player of the Year, contributing five assists in four games alongside Mbappé.
Ousmane Dembélé (France): the current Ballon d’Or holder, who scored a first-half hat-trick against Norway.
Erling Haaland (Norway) and Vinicius Jr (Brazil): both rated among the tournament’s top performers by ESPN’s player ratings, with Vinicius scoring in every group match.
Lamine Yamal (Spain): still in the conversation as a potential first-ever teenage winner, though at longer odds than the frontrunners.

If Yamal goes on to win, he would become the youngest Golden Ball recipient ever, while a Messi win would make him the only three-time winner in history. Form can swing quickly once the knockout rounds intensify, so treat any name mentioned here as provisional rather than a prediction.

How to follow the 2026 World Cup

The tournament is spread across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, so travellers following their team through the knockout rounds will be covering serious distances. Here are the key host cities to know, from the final’s venue to the earlier knockout hosts:

New York / New Jersey — venue for the final on 19 July.
Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami in the United States.
Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico.
Toronto and Vancouver in Canada.

If you are planning a trip for the remaining knockout rounds, compare flights to New York or flights to Los Angeles early and book hotels in New York or hotels in Mexico City well ahead of your dates. Use the Wego flight tracker to keep tabs on schedules and any disruption while you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has won the most World Cup Golden Balls?

Lionel Messi is the only two-time winner, taking the award in 2014 and 2022. No other player has won it more than once.

Has a goalkeeper ever won the Golden Ball?

Yes — Oliver Kahn of Germany in 2002 is the only goalkeeper to win it. He remains the sole keeper to claim the award in its history.

Does the Golden Ball winner have to be on the winning team?

No — voting closes before the final, so a losing finalist can still win. Zidane, Forlán, Messi (2014) and Modrić all won without lifting the trophy.

Who is currently favoured for the 2026 Golden Ball?

As of early July 2026, bookmakers and analysts rate Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi as the leading contenders, with Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé close behind. This is provisional, since the winner is only decided by media vote at the end of the tournament.

When will the 2026 Golden Ball be awarded?

It will be announced around the final on 19 July 2026. The winner is chosen by accredited media before that match kicks off.

Sources

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