The Golden Ball is an award presented to the best player at a World Cup tournament, with the winner voted by the media.
Lionel Messi is the only player in World Cup history to win the Golden Ball on more than one occasion, adding a second honour to his growing list of individual accolades at the 2022 edition.
He captained Argentina to a seismic third World Cup honour in Qatar, finding the net on seven occasions and notching three assists in the process.
It was France who won the 2018 World Cup, but Luka Modric was recognised as the best player in the tournament for his efforts with Croatia -- who reached the final but fell to a 4-2 defeat against Les Bleus.
2018 was arguably Modric's most successful year from an individual perspective, adding the Ballon d'Or to his honours later that year.
Read on as we list the last 10 different World Cup Golden Ball winners, including Zinedine Zidane and Diego Maradona.
Last 10 World Cup Golden Ball winners
- Lionel Messi
- Luka Modric
- Diego Forlan
- Zinedine Zidane
- Oliver Kahn
- Ronaldo
- Romario
- Salvatore Schillaci
- Diego Maradona
- Paolo Rossi
