World Cup Golden Ball

Warper

At least we know it cant be David "Golden Balls" Beckham but who do you think will win this award? For anyone that doesnt know, it is the award for the Player of the Tournament. The candidates are selected by FIFA and voted for by representatives of the media. Generally it goes to a player whose team reaches the final, more often than not winning the WC. Attacking players obviously have the best record - Previous Winners:

World Cup Golden Ball
1982 Spain Paolo Rossi
1986 Mexico Diego Maradona
1990 Italy Salvatore Schillaci
1994 USA Romário
1998 France Ronaldo
2002 Korea/Japan Oliver Kahn
2006 Germany Zinedine Zidane

Odds here
http://www.oddschecker.com/football/internationals/world-cup/golden-ball-award

As I am of the Brazil camp the two I am looking at are Kaka @ 16-1 and Maicon, who is a whopping 150-1.

RichTea

Warper wrote: »

At least we know it cant be David "Golden Balls" Beckham but who do you think will win this award? For anyone that doesnt know, it is the award for the Player of the Tournament. The candidates are selected by FIFA and voted for by representatives of the media. Generally it goes to a player whose team reaches the final, more often than not winning the WC. Attacking players obviously have the best record - Previous Winners:

World Cup Golden Ball
1982 Spain Paolo Rossi
1986 Mexico Diego Maradona
1990 Italy Salvatore Schillaci
1994 USA Romário
1998 France Ronaldo
2002 Korea/Japan Oliver Kahn
2006 Germany Zinedine Zidane

Odds here
http://www.oddschecker.com/football/internationals/world-cup/golden-ball-award

As I am of the Brazil camp the two I am looking at are Kaka @ 16-1 and Maicon, who is a whopping 150-1.

Maicon would probably be unlikely to get - mostly for the reason that he is a fullback. Although, in saying that, Oliver Kahn won it as a goalkeeper.

Carroller16

RichTea wrote: »

Maicon would probably be unlikely to get - mostly for the reason that he is a fullback. Although, in saying that, Oliver Kahn won it as a goalkeeper.

yep cos only 2 players scored against him in that WC.

Ronaldo &................Robbie Keane!!

eagle eye

Messi or Xavi imo.

HalloweenJack

It'll be Xavi, Messi or Lampard.

JPA

Maicon could possibly get it, he's certainly an eye catching player, constantly involved in the play.

Jules.Winnfield

I think Messi, would be the favourite for the award although that depends on how Maradonna plays him. some of his decisions since he took that job have been strange to say the least. it wouldn't suprise me if he put Messi in goal!

I mite put some money on someone like Casillas just for the outside chance but we will see.

DazMarz

I reckon Xavi will pip it... But it could always fall to the likes of Kaka, Messi, et al.

enda1

Buffon could win this ye know.

I think its gonna be the year of the defence, epitomised by Italy defending their title to success.

SlickRic

by the best player on the team that wins the tournament most likely.

i think Brazil will win it, therefore I'm going to plump for Kaka.

eagle eye

SlickRic wrote: »

by the best player on the team that wins the tournament most likely.

i think Brazil will win it, therefore I'm going to plump for Kaka.

No its not most likely that its a player on the winning team.

Only three players have won it in the year they won the World Cup since '82.

xtal191

Didn Cannavaro not win it in 2006???

SlickRic

eagle eye wrote: »

No its not most likely that its a player on the winning team.

Only three players have won it in the year they won the World Cup since '82.

i was under the impression Cannavaro won it in 2006, meaning it'd be 4 out of 7 tournaments where the winner was on the winning team.

either way, 6 out of 7 winners have been on a team in the final.

so, i think Brazil will be in the final, therefore, i'll plump for Kaka.

eagle eye

xtal191 wrote: »

Didn Cannavaro not win it in 2006???

No he won the Ballon d'Or and World player of the year but not the World Cup Golden Ball.

He only won the other two because of Zizou's headbutt.

xtal191

Might throw a few euro on Julio Cesar and Lucio!!

Pepe LeFrits

Whoever is MOTM in the final will win it.

MR NINE

Rooney and Xavi are both good value at 16s IMO.

m@cc@

Gary Breen.

Ush1

eagle eye wrote: »

No he won the Ballon d'Or and World player of the year but not the World Cup Golden Ball.

He only won the other two because of Zizou's headbutt.

He also did a decent bit of defending.