10 Players Who Could Win The World Cup 2018 Golden Ball Award
They're the best of the best.
Aside from the World Cup trophy itself, the most coveted award at this summer’s tournament will be the Golden Ball. This prize is handed out to the very best player of the competition and represents a remarkable individual honour for the lucky recipient.
The award officially began in 1982, with Italian striker Paolo Rossi claiming the prize. Past winners have also included truly legendary footballers like Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Oliver Kahn, and Zinedine Zidane.
In more recent times, Uruguay's Diego Forlan was handed the award in 2010 after lighting up the tournament with some remarkable long-distance strikes, and Argentina star Lionel Messi earned the prize in 2014 as he helped his nation get to the final with four goals.
This summer, the players will be focused on winning as many games as possible in a bid to get to the final and lift the trophy at the end, but the Golden Ball award might be in the back of some of their minds, and it’s easy to see which players are in with the best chance of adding this prestigious prize to their cabinets.
10. Kevin De Bruyne - Belgium
Kevin De Bruyne has been the name on everyone's lips over the last year or so. Along with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane, the 26-year-old Belgian has lit up the Premier League with his incredible talents and was a huge part of Manchester City's successful title charge.
A goalscorer and creator, De Bruyne almost seems to have a sixth sense on the pitch, able to read the game with consummate ease and play the sorts of passes that make fans and opposition players stop and stare in amazement. If he can take his domestic form onto the international stage, there's no telling what he can accomplish.
Heading into the World Cup, De Bruyne is one of Belgium's best hopes of success. The squad is filled with talent and is being predicted by many experts and pundits to go a long way in this competition, and if De Bruyne can link up well with the likes of Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, the Belgians will be scoring a lot of goals in the next few weeks. KDB missed out on the Premier League individual awards, but a World Cup Golden Boot would be an excellent addition to his trophy haul.