World Cup winner Messi claims Golden Ball
Published
Lionel Messi added to his hardware on Sunday, winning the Golden Ball award at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
It’s the second time that the 35-year-old Argentina forward has claimed the prize, given to the tournament’s best player as awarded by a panel of journalists. Messi also won the award at Brazil 2014.
Argentina claimed its third World Cup earlier on Sunday, beating France 3-3 (4-2 on penalties) for Messi's first-ever World Cup triumph.
Messi finished his tournament with seven goals, one fewer than Golden Boot winner and Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé.
This marks the third time an Argentina player has claimed the award that was first introduced in 1982. The late Diego Maradona won it at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
The award is co-sponsored by Adidas, the official ball manufacturers of the tournament, and France Football, the same publication that hands out the annual Ballon d’Or, widely considered the top individual prize in football. Messi has won the Ballon d'Or on a record seven occasions.