Do You Think Lionel Messi Deserved To Win The Golden Ball Award?
Is this just a marketing stunt?
By Darian Goh — 16 Jul 2014, 02:55 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Lionel Messi won the award of the Golden Ball, an award given to the best player in the World Cup
Argentina forward Lionel Messi was presented with the Golden Ball award for the best player at the World Cup following his team's defeat by Germany in Sunday night's final.
dailymail.co.ukAfter failing to score a goal and losing Sunday's World Cup final, the Argentina striker was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
Messi was awarded the Golden Ball after Argentina's 1-0 loss to Germany in Sunday's final in Rio de Janeiro.
The Golden Ball award is normally decided by FIFA's Technical Study Group, which includes former managers and players
A FIFA technical study group decides who the award goes to based on performances.
Image via blogspot.comThe Golden Ball and other individual prizes, such as the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper, are decided by Fifa's Technical Study Group, a panel including former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier.
The Golden Ball and other individual awards are chosen by Fifa's Technical Study Group, a 13-strong committee which analyses matches at international tournaments.
However, the decision to award him the Golden Ball has raised some eyebrows, as some felt there were others more deserving
Not to play down Messi’s accomplishments. Messi is the greatest player in the world, and only Cristiano Ronaldo has come anywhere close to duplicating his brilliance over the last seven or so years. But he wasn’t as good as James Rodriguez.
usatoday.com
Devastated Argentina forward says Fifa's award for best player of the tournament is meaningless after his side's 1-0 defeat to Germany in the World Cup final
telegraph.co.ukArgentinian legend Diego Maradona said that "Messi doesn't deserve to win the Golden Ball"
But even Diego Maradona, an ardent Argentina supporter and the country's greatest player in history, couldn't support giving the award to Messi.
“Messi? I would give him heaven if possible,” the 1986 World Cup winner told The Guardian. “But it’s not right when someone wins something that he shouldn’t have won just because of some marketing plan.”
“Lio is worthy of all the praise – he is the best but when judges award you something you do not deserve to win, it’s unfair,” Maradona said. “I saw it as I did and he was not the best of the tournament. That should have been James Rodriguez.
telegraph.co.ukEven FIFA president Sepp Blatter admitted he was surprised that Lionel Messi won the award
Fifa president Sepp Blatter says he was "a little bit surprised" Lionel Messi was named the World Cup's best player.
Blatter said: “Shall I be diplomatic or tell you the truth? Listen, I was myself a little bit surprised when I saw Messi coming up for the ‘golden ball’. But look at the goals scored by Messi in the different [group-stage] matches. They were decisive.’’
telegraph.co.uk"The award means nothing to me" Messi said as he would prefer winning the World Cup over the personal award
Lionel Messi on Monday night revealed the full depth of his anger and devastation at failing to crown his career by winning Sunday’s World Cup final amid a bizarre row about him being awarded the tournament’s ‘golden ball’.
telegraph.co.uk“Right now I do not care nothing, not about my prize, nothing. I just wanted to lift the cup and bring it to Argentina. The pain is very great.
telegraph.co.uk