Big Question: Who will win the Golden Ball?
The Golden Ball award is presented to the outstanding player at each World Cup final with the winner getting a nicer trophy than the one pictured here. While the ultimate prize will be voted by those pesky journalists at the end of the tournament, we’re giving you the opportunity to cast your vote ahead of time.
Of all the outstanding players who are featured in this tournament, who will be the one player that wins the Golden Ball?
Make your pick now.
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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 35 comments.
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By Fed | June 2nd, 2006 at 1:34 am 
MESSIIIIII
or im thinking Tevez
Posted from 
United States
By Harsha | June 2nd, 2006 at 2:23 am one and only king of football… Ronaldo of Brazil
Posted from 
India
By Underdog | June 2nd, 2006 at 2:41 am If no injuries get them, lets say vandervaart and robben are gona surprise.. if not the dutch, then its the best player in england, steven gerrard.
Posted from 
Canada
By kysen | June 2nd, 2006 at 2:42 am as a beginner, Franck Ribery from France is very promising…
Posted from 
France
By swthrhs | June 2nd, 2006 at 4:48 am It’s perfectly impossible to say before a ball has been kicked. But we can have a very rough idea to where it’s heading.
It’s obviously going to be someone from the winning team. Since this is a World Cup taking place in Europe, it’s highly likely that a European team will win it. So, the player winnging this particular award will be a European.
It’s not going to be a defender, nor a goalkeeper. Most likely it will be a forward or an attacking midfielder.
I don’t think that anybody is going to do a Theo Zagorakis, so it’s not going to be an unlikely player, nor one from a totally unfancied team.
So, if we look at the forward lines and at the attacking midfielders of Germany, Italy, France, England and (just about concenivably) Holland, it should come from there or therabouts.
For the fun of it, I would name the following as the most likely candidates: Ballack, Toti, Del Pierro, Henry, Owen, Van Nistelroy.
Posted from 
Greece
By nick | June 2nd, 2006 at 5:14 am Luca Toni!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted from 
Australia
By Daan | June 2nd, 2006 at 5:21 am van der vaart ;D
Posted from 
Netherlands
By Greekfreak | June 2nd, 2006 at 5:35 am The winner could very well be someone whose team stumbles at the group stages!
Christian Vieri almost got it last time around and we saw how far they went.
My money’s still on Pauleta.
Posted from 
Republic Of Korea
By Milan | June 2nd, 2006 at 6:09 am If Croatia do well then Darijo Srna has a shot. He plays very well for Croatia and I do believe he is on the brink of making a big name for himself in the Football world which he can do if he plays to his ability in this world cup.
Posted from Australia
By juventus | June 2nd, 2006 at 6:12 am I thing adriano or ronaldinio will win it.
Posted from 
Malta
By wael | June 2nd, 2006 at 6:57 am messi, robinho or fabregas.
it’s young talents i’m talking about
Posted from Canada
By wael | June 2nd, 2006 at 6:58 am messi, robinho or fabregas.
it’s young talents i’m talking about
Posted from Canada
By Aldo | June 2nd, 2006 at 8:27 am Guys… Ronaldinho by far.
Football, Marketing, and a nice Nike Logo on the chest…
Cheers,
Aldo
Posted from 
Uruguay
By Hanks | June 2nd, 2006 at 8:58 am Pele will get golden ball.
Posted from United States
By Siddhartha Debgupta | June 2nd, 2006 at 10:37 am Carlitos Tevez. If Pekerman comes to his senses, that is.
Posted from United States
By Pedro P | June 2nd, 2006 at 10:59 am After watching yesterday’s second half of NED vs MEX I became (even) more adept to the thesis of the “european team”.
Back to swthrhs:
ENG - Here in The Netherlands, virtually nobody believes in ENG. I do, cos they are strong. They DO have a serious striker problem, which no matter what else, will always have a huge role in their play. It’s up to them to show if they have the backbone or not.
HOL - Will be stronger than what most (including myself) were assuming. Still, I feel they lack something that gives them an edge.
FRA - Huge question mark for me.
ITA - Haven’t done nothing special in the past 4 years. Won the semi’s in EC2000 with some luck, against a very strong dutch side. Surelly, always a team to be respected, specially because of their magnificent (and hugelly boring) defense.
GER - Poor team, but playing home. Germany has never based its strength in pure quality, rather than in collective power and brilliant organization. Again, nobody can say they’ll be out just now.
You’re forgeting Spain, Portugal, Croatia and Czech. And I can imagine why. 
But remember, POR and CZE were the best teams (for me they were) in EC 04 and made good qualification runs for this WC. SPA and CRO, no matter what, are also quite strong and I’m sure EC2004 would have been different, with SPA and POR going through groups, rather than GRE and POR.
To greekfreak: Pauleta can either be the best or the worse. A bit like the rest of the POR team, actually. If the team plays with all the “brain screws” and if he’s fired up, I bet ya he doesn’t just score a lot against weak teams!
To Aldo: Cristiasno Ronaldo also has a catchy smile, plays for Man Utd and also has a nice Nike logo on his chest… 
Posted from Netherlands
By swthrhs | June 2nd, 2006 at 5:59 pm Pedro, don’t get me wrong; I’m supporting the Czechs this time around; heck, I was even supporting them in Euro 2004 when they were playing Greece.
But the teams I support have an infuriating habit of doing rather badly when it comes to the real crunch, especially when I have all my hopes riding on them. So, since I happen to be massively superstitious, I will not risk the chance of bringing bad luck on them by suggesting they might win it.
Glad to see another neutral believing the Czechs can go ahead and win the damn thing though. But I’m not neutral as far as the Czechs are concerned, so I can’t really evaluate them with a critical eye.
As for Spain and Portugal, Spain have class oozing out of their ears, but their national team has always underperformed. Do you see why it should be any different this year?
Portugal have never fully convinced me, even when playing at their best. Let me remind you of how they’ve done in the past, starting a bit way back:
82- didn’t get to Spain, knocked out by Scotland and Northern Ireland
84- made the semis in France, lost to France, the hosts and eventual winners, in extra time, having seen through West Germany in the first round. An excellent performance, and a pretty unique one.
86- knocked out in the first round by England, Poland and Morocco
88- didn’t come near qualifying
90- didn’t make it, knocked out by Belgium and the Czechs
92- failed to qualify, Holland responsible, losing to Greece in the process
94- didn’t get to the USA, knocked out by Switzerland and Italy
96- v. Czech Republic 0-1 in the quarter finals
98- didn’t get to France, knocked out by Germany and the Ukraine
2000- chaos rules when they get knocked out in the semi by France, giving us one of the funniest moments of the tournament into the bargain, as Figo and a few others are red carded. Figo throws his shirt down in disgust, provoking more laughter
2002- knocked out by South Korea and the US, with more red cards being awarded
2004- lose final to Greece. At HOME. Lose opening match to Greece. At HOME. Don’t create a single chance during the whole final. ‘Nough said.
I can’t really expect Portugal to be a serious contender with that sort of pedigree, can I?
In fact, one European team who just might do well this time around is the Ukraine, whom you;ve forgot to mention. I watched them in their qualifying group, so I know how they bore people to death, like most good Eastern sides do, and then suddenly all hell breaks loose. But I can’t see them actually winning it. And they do depend hugely on Sevchenko.
Posted from Greece
By michel | June 3rd, 2006 at 11:07 pm Golden Ball Winner:
Brain says Ronaldinho
Heart says “A man can’t possibly have the satisfaction of both Champs League and World Cup glory in the same year”.
Thierry Henry (GOOOOONERS)
Golden Boot: Peter Crouch (set piece after set piece God willing)
By Ryan | June 6th, 2006 at 10:36 am Nedved. Thats all.
Posted from 
New Zealand
By Liliana | July 3rd, 2006 at 6:18 pm Ricardo…goalkeepr from Portugal…definately deserves it.
Posted from United States
By Ang | July 5th, 2006 at 12:11 am Buffon, from Italy
Posted from United States
By yasir | July 6th, 2006 at 7:00 am Zidane if France wins
Posted from 
Pakistan
By faysal | November 15th, 2006 at 12:44 am Good Lucky
Posted from 
Somalia
By cannavaro n.1 | December 1st, 2006 at 9:15 am cannavaro won and he deserved it hes tha best player of the world and is a top defender.
deserved golden ball
Posted from Netherlands
By alex | April 16th, 2008 at 7:00 am adrian mutu if he wins the uefa cup with fiorentina
Posted from 
Spain
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