List of FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winners: Rodri beats Lionel Messi to award after Spain win
Rodri pipped Lionel Messi to the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball award after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final of the 2026 edition in New Jersey on Sunday.
Messi lead Argentina to its third World Cup final and was a hot favourite to win the award after recording eight goals and four assists.
But, Rodri was one of the most influential figures for La Roja that conceded just a single goal through the entire tournament.
Full list of FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winners
1978: Mario Kempes (Argentina)
1982: Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1986: Diego Maradona (Argentina)
1990: Salvatore Schillaci (Italy)
1994: Romario (Brazil)
1998: Ronaldo (Brazil)
2002: Oliver Kahn (Germany)
2006: Zinedine Zidane (France)
2010: Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
2014: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2018: Luka Modric (Croatia)
2022: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2026: Rodri (Spain)
(The award was introduced at the 1978 FIFA World Cup)
Published on Jul 20, 2026
