The Golden Ball is the award given by FIFA to the player of the tournament. A bit like the Golden Boot, bookmakers now offer odds on who might win this prestigous award. The award doesn't always go to the player who has scored the most goals in the World Cup, but is often given to a player who plays for a nation that at least reaches the final. Previous winners include Pele, Maradona and Zinedine Zidane and we have listed a full record of the winners below.
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The 2010 World Cup Golden Ball winner was awarded to Diego Forlan of Uruguay.
The award in it's current guise was first awarded in 1982.
| Year | Host | Winner |
| 1982 | Spain | Paolo Rossi |
| 1986 | Mexico | Diego Maradona |
| 1990 | Italy | Salvatore Schillaci |
| 1994 | USA | Romario |
| 1998 | France | Ronaldo |
| 2002 | Japan/South Korea | Oliver Khan |
| 2006 | Germany | Zinedine Zidane |
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