World Cup Golden Ball Odds & Betting Guide
Welcome to our World Cup Golden Ball betting guide, where we cover everything you need to know about betting on the player of the tournament award. Our guide includes an overview of the prestigious FIFA award, the latest World Cup Golden Ball odds, expert tips to help you predict the winner, and much more.
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What Is the World Cup Golden Ball?
The Golden Ball is an award presented to the standout player following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup finals – the group stages and knockouts of the World Cup, not the qualifying stage.
It was first introduced in 1982, the same year the Golden Shoe was rebranded as the Golden Boot award, as it is known today. At the same time, the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball were introduced, awarded to the players who finish in second and third place respectively.
The award is voted for by the media, and previous winners include illustrious names such as Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane.
Golden Ball v Golden Boot: What’s The Difference?
The Golden Boot and Golden Ball are both FIFA World Cup awards, but the criteria for each one is different.
The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most World Cup goals. The most recent winner of the Golden Boot was England’s Harry Kane, who scored six goals at the Russia 2018 World Cup.
By contrast, the Golden Ball is decided by a team of experts. A shortlist of the best players is created by a FIFA technical committee, which is supposedly based only on their performances at that particular World Cup. After that, selected members of the media are allowed to vote for their winner.
2022 World Cup Best Player Betting: Favourites & Odds
Unfortunately, not all betting sites offer World Cup Golden Ball odds. However, many major online bookmakers cover the market, and the list will continue to grow as the start of the tournament nears. Getting your bets in early could be a smart idea, as it will only take one man-of-the-match performance for a player’s World Cup Golden Ball odds betting to shorten.
It’s worth noting that there have been some controversial decisions over the years. Lionel Messi won the award in 2014 after a rather flat final in which Argentina lost to Germany, with then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter later labelling the decision ‘incorrect’. Therefore, it’s important to keep an eye on players who could be seen as perpetual favourites when betting on World Cup Golden Ball.
Here’s the latest World Cup Golden Ball odds:
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappé | France | 10/1 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 12/1 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | 14/1 |
| Neymar | Brazil | 14/1 |
| Harry Kane | England | 14/1 |
| Jose Vinicius Junior | Brazil | 16/1 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 16/1 |
| Raphinha | Brazil | 25/1 |
| Richarlison | Brazil | 33/1 |
| Lautaro Martinez | Argentina | 40/1 |
| Romelu Lukaku | Belgium | 40/1 |
| Raheem Sterling | England | 40/1 |
| Phil Foden | England | 40/1 |
| Antoine Griezmann | France | 40/1 |
All odds correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Our Picks to Win the 2022 World Cup Golden Ball
Now you know how the winner is determined and you’ve seen the latest World Cup Golden Ball odds, it’s time to discuss five of the favourites to win the award at Qatar 2022.
Kylian Mbappé (10/1)
Kylian Mbappé (10/1)
He may only be 23 years old, but Mbappé is already considered one of the best players in the game and heavily tipped to win the World Cup Golden Ball. Odds-wise, he’s the clear favourite. If he cleans up in the group stages, his goal tally could make the Golden Ball – and Golden Boot – a formality. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but he should certainly be in your thinking.
Lionel Messi (12/1)
Lionel Messi (12/1)
No player has ever won the World Cup Golden Ball twice. Odds suggest Messi could break that trend. The pint-sized Argentinian had a quiet 2021/22 season after leaving boyhood club Barcelona for PSG, but one sub-par year doesn’t underdo an entire career as one of the world’s greatest footballers. His Argentina side have a decent group and a strong team mentality, and they will be looking to go far at Qatar 2022.
Harry Kane (14/1)
Harry Kane (14/1)
As the winner of the Golden Boot at the most recent World Cup, Golden Ball odds are short for a man who looks certain to become England’s all-time top goal scorer. The Spurs striker has 51 goals in 75 games moving into the World Cup, and expectations on England are high after a strong World Cup 2018 and Euro 2020, even if their recent form has been questionable.
Neymar (14/1)
Neymar (14/1)
Now 30, Neymar is no longer the Brazilian kid with all the potential – he’s the finished article. The PSG forward seems ready to cement his legacy on the world stage, and what better way to do that than by winning the Golden Ball? Brazil are among the favourites and, if they go all the way, Neymar will be instrumental in their progress, both in terms of goals and overall contribution to the team.
Phil Foden (40/1)
Phil Foden (40/1)
Our experts have included a bit of a rogue shout for those of you searching for longer odds. If England manage to reach the semi-finals or beyond, there’s a good chance that Harry Kane will be their top goal scorer. But he’ll need someone to create scoring opportunities, and, in the absence of Spurs teammate Son Heung-min, Manchester City’s Phil Foden could be that man. At 40/1, Foden is a dark horse to collect the Golden Ball by pulling the strings for England if they go deep in the tournament.
Previous World Cup Golden Ball Winners
Looking back over the winners of the Golden Ball since it was established in 1982, there are some truly distinguished names on the list: Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi, and more. But none of them have won it twice. And only one goalkeeper – Germany’s Oliver Kahn – has won the award, as goalkeepers are usually awarded the Golden Glove instead.
Interestingly, there are indicators of players winning the Golden Ball then falling just short at the next tournament four years later. Ronaldo won the Golden Ball at France ’98, then the silver ball at South Korea/Japan World Cup 2002. And before that, Maradona captured the Golden Ball at Mexico 1986, then came third at Italia ’90.
Here’s a list of every Golden Ball winner at every World Cup, as well as all Silver Ball and Bronze Ball winners:
| World Cup | Golden Ball | Silver Ball | Bronze Ball |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia 2018 | Luka Modrić | Eden Hazard | Antoine Griezmann |
| Brazil 2014 | Lionel Messi | Thomas Müller | Arjen Robben |
| South Africa 2010 | Diego Forlán | Wesley Sneijder | David Villa |
| Germany 2006 | Zinedine Zidane | Fabio Cannavaro | Andrea Pirlo |
| South Korea/Japan 2002 | Oliver Kahn | Ronaldo | Hong Myung-bo |
| France 1998 | Ronaldo | Davor Šuker | Lilian Thuram |
| USA 1994 | Romário | Roberto Baggio | Hristo Stoichkov |
| Italy 1990 | Salvatore Schillaci | Lothar Matthäus | Diego Maradona |
| Mexico 1986 | Diego Maradona | Harald Schumacher | Preben Elkjær |
| Spain 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Falcão | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge |
Golden Ball Winners by Country
Our experts also analysed the previous Golden Ball winners based on the country they represent, to see if there were any patterns. Brazil might be the obvious assumption, but they actually came second to Italy, with Argentina placing third. If Messi were to win it, he’d not only be the first player to ever win the Golden Ball twice, but he’d also take Argentina to a record-breaking three Golden Balls in total.
| Country | Golden Balls | Silver Balls | Bronze Balls | Total Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Brazil | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Argentina | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Germany | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Croatia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| France | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Uruguay | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Belgium | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bulgaria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Denmark | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| South Korea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Spain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Bet on the World Cup Golden Ball
By now, you should have a thorough understanding of how the Golden Ball works and the favourites to win based on the latest 2022 World Cup Golden Ball odds.
Ready to bet on the best player at the 2022 World Cup? Compare the latest Golden Ball betting odds with our top-rated bookmaker.
FAQs
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About the author
Eric Roberts
Sports Journalist
Eric has been a sports journalist for over 20 years and has travelled the world covering top sporting events for a number of publications. He also has a passion for betting and uses his in-depth knowledge of the sports world to pinpoint outstanding odds and value betting opportunities.
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