The prize is awarded to the most valuable player in the 32-team tournament. The decision will be announced on Monday.
The captain of the Czech national team and 2003 European Footballer of the Year topped a poll of local sports journalists.
The 24-year-old striker was awarded the Swedish Golden Ball award for 2005.
The World Cup's leading scorers, Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands and Spain's David Villa, with five goals each, are among ten footballers shortlisted for the 2010 FIFA World Cup adidas Golden Ball.
This is the first Golden Ball to go for auction and while the value is still to be confirmed, the auction house expects it to fetch millions on June 6.
With Kylian Mbappe's depth and experience, economists predict France are tipped to edge Spain to lift World Cup.
From goal-scoring prowess to outstanding goalkeeping, the awards highlighted the remarkable talent and sportsmanship displayed on the grandest stage of women's football.
Packed with legendary players and remarkable milestones, these fascinating FIFA World Cup facts offer a glimpse into the tournament's rich history.
Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of football's greatest players, celebrated his 39th birthday. The article chronicles his journey from humble beginnings in Rosario to becoming a global superstar, highlighting his unparalleled success at Barcelona, his international triumphs with Argentina including the 2022 World Cup, his individual accolades like eight Ballon d'Or awards, and his current impact with Inter Miami, cementing his legacy as a record-breaking legend.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter hinted that the head-butt on Italy's Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final might cost the France captain the best player's award.
United States captain Carli Lloyd capped her incredible performance in Sunday's women's World Cup final by winning the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament.
Germany have four players and Argentina three in the 10-man FIFA shortlist for the adidas Golden Ball, which is awarded to the World Cup's most outstanding performer.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion has become the undisputed headline act at a tournament at which she has won seven singles titles and six doubles crowns with sister Venus.
Why doesn't the world of football talk enough about Diego Forlan? For Worldcupsid, Forlan is the player of the tournament or the winner of the Golden Ball award for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Sreenidi Deccan FC fought back to secure a 1-1 draw against Dempo Sports Club in an Indian Football League match, with Hadi Idrissou's second-half goal cancelling out Marcus Joseph's early opener.
Argentina forward Lionel Messi did not deserve to win the World Cup 'Golden Ball' as the tournament's best player, according to his compatriot and former great Diego Maradona.
Tottenham Hotspur missed a chance to move clear of relegation danger after Dominic Calvert-Lewin earned Leeds United a 1-1 Premier League draw in North London.
Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal, but Inter Miami CF were knocked out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup by Nashville SC.
Punjab FC secured a 1-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC in their Indian Super League encounter, thanks to a late own goal. The win moves Punjab FC into sixth place, while Chennaiyin FC remain at the bottom of the table.
Harmanpreet Singh, Smriti Mandhana, Divya Deshmukh among five Indian stars nominated for BBC awards
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer won the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper of the World Cup. Argentina captain Lionel Messi had never scored at the world finals prior to Brazil 2014, a record he em
Naoba Meitei's dramatic stoppage-time goal gave Rajasthan United FC a 1-0 victory over Gokulam Kerala FC in a closely contested Indian Football League match.
Dreams are not fragile; they are powerful. So dream big, write your script like Praful Hinge did, and when the moment arrives go for the kill and dominate.
Indian cricketer Pratika Rawal, fresh off her Test debut, is advocating for more women's Test matches, highlighting the format's importance for player development and character building.
An awards season full of twists, upsets, and shifting narratives culminated in a night that defied early predictions. The Best Actor race delivered the biggest surprise, as momentum, controversy, and changing perceptions reshaped the field.
Mohamed Salah is set to conclude his remarkable nine-year tenure with Liverpool FC at the end of the 2025-26 season. This article highlights his key achievements, records, and statistics during his time at Anfield.
The 98th Academy Awards was a mix of high fashion, subdued politics, flashes of humour and emotions running high.
Inter Kashi FC secured their first-ever Indian Super League (ISL) victory by defeating Kerala Blasters 2-1 in a composed team performance. Alfred Planas was named Player of the Match as Inter Kashi climbed to sixth in the standings.
Uruguay's Diego Forlan won the adidas Golden Ball, awarded to the outstanding player at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Cristiano Ronaldo birthday special coverage: Check Cristiano Ronaldo age, stats, total goals, career records, trophies and net worth details.
Aitana Bonmat won the women's Ballon d'Or for the third year running while the 18-year-old Yamal, who was Dembele's teammate at Barcelona when he first broke through in 2023, was again awarded the men's Kopa Trophy.
Here are the list of awards handed out after the FIFA World Cup
Abhishek Sharma and Smriti Mandhana have been named ICC Players of the Month for September after setting new benchmarks in India's dominance across formats.
With a fifth world player of the year award safely tucked away in the trophy cabinet, Lionel Messi can set his sights on one of the next milestones in his remarkable career: reaching 500 goals for club and country. The Barcelona and Argentina forward can add to his jaw-dropping tally of 479 in 609 official games -- 430 for Barca and 49 for his national team -- in Sunday's La Liga match at home to Athletic Bilbao. The 28-year-old from Rosario, who picked up the FIFA Ballon d'Or on Monday, is looking close to his best following a two-month injury layoff late last year and netted a hat-trick when second-placed Barca crushed Granada 4-0 at the Nou Camp last weekend in their most recent outing in Spain's top flight.
India, the eight-time Olympic champions, won their only World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 1975 defeating Pakistan 2-1 with Surjit Singh Randhawa and Ashok Kumar netting the goals.
The Hollywood brigade looked super glam on the red carpet of the 82nd Golden Globes at Beverly Hills, California.
Voting for the eighth annual awards opened on Thursday on FIFA.com and closes in mid-October. National team coaches, captains, journalists and fans make up the list of voters.
Bavuma believes this group, unbeaten in full-strength Test series since coach Shukri Conrad took charge in 2023, has the maturity and belief to mount a serious challenge and win their only second series in India after 25 years.
The upcoming Durand Cup may have only six Indian Super League (ISL) teams in the fray, down from 12 last season.
