World Cup 2018 Golden Ball.Player of the tournament ?

Giroud, makes Mbpape look good imo.

"Members of the Technical Study Group of FIFA will decide on the winner until the end of the Final. "

Past 7 winners.  Only one of them won the World Cup

2014: Lionel Messi (Argentina)

2010: Diego Forlan (Uruguay)

2006: Zinedine Zidane (France)

2002: Oliver Kahn (Germany)

1998: Ronaldo (Brazil)

1994: Romario (Brazil)

1990: Salvatore Schillaci (Italy)

Forlan

Edin Hazard also still possibly in with a shout .. was consistently brilliant

before the final

i think this Golden Ball market is really complicated by the fact that there is also something called Young Player of the Tournament which is a totally separate award.

Obviously being only 19 years old, Mbappe is the standout candidate for the Young player award.

I just wonder if they might lean toward Modric in that case.. unless Mbappe scores a hatrick in the final !

It shouldn't be as they are awarded by two separate panels

Varane should win it IMO but as said above there's no chance they'll give it to a defender.

"Kante was just completing one of the great games in World Cup history. Kante had intercepted Uruguay 32 times in the match, and on only three of those occasions had France failed to retain possession. That is scarcely feasible. Kante had won back possession for France 29 times against some of the finest players on the planet.

even Argentina could not keep Kante absolutely quiet by avoiding him. He still broke up play on several crucial occasions and his understanding of the pass is second to none. Against Uruguay Kante made 34 passes in a row without giving the ball away. In both the game against Uruguay and Argentina, Kante did not concede possession of the ball in the second half.

Some of it was sideways and short. But there were also those poetic one touch passes that open up space. Against Argentina Kante made three in a matter of 10 seconds and France were away again. It was also Kante's little surge from the edge of his box and left-footed pass into Griezmann's stronger foot that initiated the goal of the tournament, Griezmann's flick, Olivier Giroud's gentle nudge and Mbappe's finish were all sublime, but it was Kante who started it all.

So much of what France do starts with Kante. His passing also initiated the build-up to the third goal against Argentina. His reading of the play and stepping into space, turned Uruguay back towards their own goal and set up the free-kick from which France opened the scoring in their quarter-final.

And there's nothing to the bloke. He's even two centimetres shorter than Messi. But Kante is every bit as big a player. Thierry Henry, the former French international who has been part of Belgium's coaching staff, says he poked Kante in the chest to see if he was real.

After France shut out Peru in their qualifying group Paul Pogba called his midfield mate, "the man with fifteen lungs." Teammates have called Kante 'the rat', for the way he scurries about or an 'annoying fly'. Peru, Uruguay and Argentina would doubtless call Kante the curse of South America.

France's left-back Lucas Hernandez said. 'N'Golo, you see him everywhere, all of a sudden he comes out of the ground. Frankly, it's really amazing to play with a player like that, someone who wins you back I do not know how many balls in a match." "

Would be very surprised if he isn't listed by the technical study group.  But I'd imagine the media who decide on the eventual winner are more like fans than players.  It may favour Modric that there are so many Frenchman competing for votes.

Based on past winners, it's highly unlikely that the winner will be anyone who is not in the top 2 for goals + assists combined (7 of the last 9 winners were in the top 2 for goals+assists, the other 2 were Oliver Kahn and Messi - who had 4 MOTM awards).

At the minute it reads like this for the relevant players (last 9 winners from a team that made the Semis)

1. Kane - 6 goals + 0 assists........ + 3 MOTM awards (beats me)
2. Lukaku - 4 goals + 1 assist........+ 1 MOTM award
= Hazard - 3 goals + 2 assists....... + 3 MOTM awards
= Griezmann - 3 goals + 2 assists.....+ 2 MOTM awards
7. De Bruyne - 1 goal + 3 assists.....+ 1 MOTM award
12. Mbappe - 3 goals + 1 assist.......+ 2 MOTM awards
= Perisic - 2 goals + 1 assist........+ 1 MOTM awards
= Modric - 2 goals + 1 assist.........+ 3 MOTM awards
= Mandzuckic - 2 goals + assist.......+ 0 MOTM awards
= Meunier - 1 goal + 2 assists........+ 0 MOTM awards
60. Umtiti - 1 goal + 0 assist........+ 1 MOTM awards
Kante - 0 goals + 0 assists...........+ 1 MOTM award

Most Man of the match awards


Kane has more than likely won the Golden boot unless Greizmann or Mbappe score a hat trick which is unlikely, the Golden Boot winner is rarely given the Golden Ball award as well, you'd have to go back 7 World Cups to find the last time that happened and only twice in the last 9 World Cups in all. Kane has generally been below par anyway, scored his last goal in the 2nd round and is well out of the running for this award.


A lot will depend upon the final. But really it's between Hazard / Griezmann / Modric / Mbappe.

Mbappe will be given the young players award, that might make him less likely to win the Golden Ball if they want to share around the awards, though that's just guesswork - he'd really have to score at least 1 goal tomorrow without Griezmann scoring and be MOTM.

Hard to call a winner before the final. But if it's a drab draw/extra time/pens, wouldn't be surprised if Hazard was given it.

Kante that was ^^^^

Wouldn't rule Hazard out for sure.

I agree about Modric. He looks very short. I can't see how they can give it to someone from such a weak half of the draw.

Had Belgium got to the final Hazard would be odds on. Clearly been better than Mbappe.

Mbappe needs to have a good final. If he doesn't I wouldn't be surprised if Hazard still gets it.

Let's face it nobody has put their stamp on the tournament with a string of outstanding performances.

And Zidane won despite his head butt.  Hardly an advert that FIFA think strongly about sportsmanship even if it was allegedly decided before the WCF.  Obviously times change

Maradonna cheated in 86 but he was given the Golden Ball as well.

FIFA Ethics Commitee is about as useful as the Mafia's Customer Complaints Department

I listed the adidas men on one of the other 3,000 golden ball threads.