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 the vote receive the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball awards as the second and third most outstanding players in the tournament respectively.
| World Cup | Golden Ball | Silver Ball | Bronze Ball |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 Uruguay | José Nasazzi | Guillermo Stábile | José Leandro Andrade |
| 1934 Italy | Giuseppe Meazza | Matthias Sindelar | 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 | Pelé | Just Fontaine |
| 1962 Chile | Garrincha | Josef Masopust | Leonel Sánchez |
| 1966 England | Bobby Charlton | Bobby Moore | Eusébio |
| 1970 Mexico | Pelé | Gérson | Gerd Muller |
| 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 | ||
| 1990 Italy | Salvatore Schillaci | Lothar Matthäus | Diego Maradona |
| 1994 United States | 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 |
| 2010 South Africa | Diego Forlán | Wesley Sneijder | David Villa |
Read more about this topic: FIFA World Cup Awards
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A golden apple doth appear.
No doors there are to this stronghold,
Yet thieves break in and steal the gold.”
—Mother Goose (fl. 17th–18th century. In marble walls as white as milk (Riddle: An Egg)
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—Lucille Ball (1911–1989)