FIFA this
evening officially announced the names of the ten players in the running for
the adidas Golden Ball, which is awarded to the competition’s most outstanding
performer.
The
shortlist was drawn up by the members of FIFA’s Technical Study Group, who have
been casting their expert eyes over each and every one of the matches held at
Brazil 2014 to date. Appearing in alphabetical order, the 10 contenders for the
accolade are as follows. Read more after the cut...
- Angel Di
Maria (Argentina)
In providing
Lionel Messi with the best possible support, Di Maria has led the Albiceleste
attack with distinction, posing a constant menace to opposing defences with his
long-range shooting, mazy dribbling and finishing skills, which he showcased
with a well-taken winner against Switzerland in the Round of 16.
- Mats
Hummels (Germany)
The Borussia
Dortmund centre-half has attracted much praise for his solid displays at the
heart of the German defence. As if that were not enough, Hummels has also
impressed at the other end of the pitch, rising high to score against Portugal
in the group phase and head home the winner against France in the
quarter-finals.
- Toni Kroos
(Germany)
Kroos ran
the show as Die Mannschaft swept aside hosts Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals,
dominating the midfield and posing a constant threat with his passing and
shooting, which brought him two goals – all in a day’s work for this most
consistent of performers.
- Philipp
Lahm (Germany)
The Germany
captain began the tournament in midfield before seamlessly making the switch to
the right-back slot, without it undermining his performance levels or his
considerable influence on Joachim Low’s side.
- Javier
Mascherano (Argentina)
Though their
much-vaunted attack attracts most of the headlines, Argentina have also been
solid in defence, a large part of the credit for which must go to Mascherano
for his tireless work in providing the Albiceleste rearguard with essential
protection.
- Lionel
Messi (Argentina)
Messi had
never scored at the world finals prior to Brazil 2014, a record he emphatically
set straight with some lethal finishing in each of Argentina’s three group
matches. Though yet to find the back of the net in the knockout rounds, he has
remained an influential figure for his side.
- Thomas
Muller (Germany)
In opening
his campaign with a hat-trick against Portugal, Muller picked up where he left
off at South Africa 2010, where he collected the adidas Golden Boot. His
performances since have underlined his status as the spearhead of Germany’s
deadly front line.
- Neymar
(Brazil)
Though only
22, the livewire forward ably shouldered the huge responsibility of leading A
Seleção. Neymar was his side’s stand-out performer with four goals before an
unfortunate injury ended his tournament in the quarter-finals.
- Arjen
Robben (Netherlands)
The flying
Dutch wide man has been in peerless form since putting defending champions
Spain to the sword in his side’s opening match. His incisive runs from deep
have been a feature of the tournament.
- James
Rodriguez (Colombia)
Recognised
as a huge talent heading into the competition, the gifted Rodriguez has since
proved his ability to rise to the big occasion. His haul of six goals in five
outings was a major reason why Los Cafeteros broke new ground in reaching the
last eight for the first time.
The winners
of the adidas Golden Ball, Silver Ball and Bronze Ball will all be announced
after Sunday’s Final.
The FIFA
Technical Study Group
Headed by
Jean-Paul Brigger, the FIFA Technical Study Group assesses the football played
in each of the 64 matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. Its members are
Gerard Houllier (France), Raul Arias (Mexico), Gabriel Calderon (Argentina),
Ricki Herbert (New Zealand), Abdel M. Hussein (Sudan), Ka Ming Kwok (Hong
Kong), Ioan Lupescu (Romania), Gines Melendez Sotos (Spain), Tsuneyasu Miyamoto
(Japan), Sunday Oliseh (Nigeria), Mixu Paatelainen (Finland), Jaime Rodriguez
(El Salvador) and Theodore Whitmore (Jamaica).
Previous
adidas Golden Ball winners:
1982 FIFA
World Cup Spain: Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1986 FIFA
World Cup Mexico: Diego Maradona (Argentina)
1990 FIFA
World Cup Italy: Salvatore Schillaci (Italy)
1994 FIFA
World Cup USA: Romario (Brazil)
1998 FIFA
World Cup France: Ronaldo (Brazil)
2002 FIFA
World Cup Korea/Japan: Oliver Kahn (Germany)
2006 FIFA
World Cup Germany: Zinedine Zidane (France)
2010 FIFA
World Cup South Africa: Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
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