Golden Ball Predictions for Qatar World Cup 2022
Simply representing your country at the World Cup is an honor bestowed upon a few very lucky players. Winning the most prestigious individual award in the tournament is something that football players only dream of. The World Cup in Qatar is going to be the swansong of many prolific players. But who has the best chance of winning the Golden Ball this year?
Golden Ball World Cup predictions
These are the favorites to win the World Cup’s Golden Ball.
Prediction 1: Lionel Messi @ 6/5 (2.20)
The odds between Lionel Messi winning the World Cup Golden Ball and Kylian Mbappe are finally even! And how could they not be? These two players have been performing at a sensational level this year but we fancy Lionel Messi to take the Golden Ball for a second time.
He previously received the Golden Ball back in 2014 for his outstanding contribution to Argentina that qualified the team for the final game against Germany which La Albiceleste lost. There was no one else who deserved the award more than him back in 2014 but now he has company as Kylian Mbappe looks ready to grab it as well.
In the 2014 World Cup, Messi had four goals and one assist. Certainly, this year we see an even better side of him. He bagged five goals for Argentina and provided his teammates with two assists. Furthermore, he won four MVP awards out of five games! He was ever-present for Lionel Scaloni in each game that was played so far. And now he will seek revenge on Croatia in the semi-finals.
Prediction 2: Kylian Mbappe @ 6/5 (2.20)
As good as Kylian Mbappe was in the group stage of the tournament, he had a very quiet game against England in the quarter-finals. It was Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud who carries Kylian Mbappe this time, not the other way around.
France are lucky to qualify for the semi-finals and Kylian Mbappe is fortunate to still be in the Golden Ball fight. If England had knocked France out of the World Cup, Kylian Mbappe’s chances of winning the Golden Ball would’ve been reduced to zero.
What we saw in the match against England, was that it took a player like Kyle Walker to nullify the PSG superstar. That’s not something you want from a Golden Ball recipient. And Kylian Mbappe will have to face his PSG teammate in the semi-finals, Achraf Hakimi, who has been sensational at the back as well.
Prediction 3: Luka Modric @ 20/1 (21.00)
With playmaker-in-chief, Luka Modric, everything seems possible for the Croatians. Zlatko Dalic has no difficulties picking the starting XI for his team. There are certainly no questions about who the key midfielder is going to be.
Luka Modric only seems to get better with age and we’re convinced he’ll be the key player for Croatia in the very important match against Argentina on the 13th of December. Luka Modric already received the Golden Ball back in 2018. It’s not going to be a complete shock for us to see him lift the most prestigious individual award in football. Nevertheless, he has some serious rivals for this award as Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe both look sharp ahead of the semi-finals.
Golden Ball predictions and odds
As we already said, a lot of bookmakers are not creating a market for the Golden Ball trophy because the odds can become unpredictable. Luckily, punters don’t have to worry because of some of the best bookmakers in the world offer markets for this category. At the moment, all of them agree on which players are front runners for the FIFA player of the tournament reward. Stake.com has Mbappe and Benzema both at 10/1 (11.0) odds. Les Bleus won the last world cup and they are among the top 3 favourites once again. Since both Mbappe and Benzema are considered leaders in their squad, it makes sense that they challenge for the Golden Ball trophy.
|
Lionel Messi |
6/5 (2.20) |
|
Kylian Mbappe |
6/5 (2.20) |
|
Luka Modric |
20/1 (21.00) |
|
Antoine Griezmann |
32/1 (33.00) |
Messi takes position number three with odds of 12/1 (13.0). This might be his last world cup and it might be the last opportunity for this Argentinian generation of players to win this tournament. They managed to defeat Brazil to win the last Copa America and come to the world cup undefeated over the last 35 fixtures. That’s why SkyBet has different odds than Stake.com. This bookmaker gives the advantage to Lionel Messi as he is tied with Mbappe at 10/1 (11.0) odds to win the Golden Ball.
Last but not least, most Golden Ball predictions suggest that we have to mention a Brazilian player in our list. After all, the “Selecao” are favourites to bring home the world cup trophy. Bookmakers believe that Neymar Junior is the player who can be the best player in Qatar 2022. Stake.com is backing him at 14/1 (15.0) odds while SkyBet has Neymar at 12/1 (13.0) odds.
Golden Ball predictions – History of the Golden Ball trophy
Introduced in 1982, the Golden Ball is a trophy given to the best player during a world cup. It’s not measured by who scored or assisted the most but rather by whose influence helped the squad win a world cup trophy or at least reach the final. In each world cup, the three best players are rewarded for their individual performances. The third one gets a Bronze Ball trophy, the second one a Silver Ball trophy, and the best player gets the Golden Ball. So far, we have seen 10 winners in previous world cup editions. Italian Paolo Rossi won the first one back in 1982 during the world cup in Spain. Luka Modric is the player who has crowned the FIFA player of the tournament and he took the last Golden Ball trophy home.
As we can see, this reward is not always awarded to a player who wins the world cup. Luka Modric was neither the top scorer nor was he top in any other category during the world cup 2018. However, his influence on the Croatian squad as a leader was how they made it to the final even though Croatia was a major underdog. Something similar happened in 2014 as well. Even though Argentina lost the final to Germany, Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball trophy. Individually, he was the best player during that tournament, even though his nation lost in the final.
This is why golden ball predictions have to be looked at objectively. We need to discuss players who are leaders of nations that are capable of winning the world cup. It’s not about the best goalscorers or most dominant individuals. Ratings for the Golden Ball trophy can’t be measured statistically. This trophy usually goes to the most valuable player of a nation that makes it far in the tournament.
FAQ
Who is the Golden Ball favourite?
According to Golden Ball predictions, Kylian Mbappe is the main favourite to win the 2022 Golden Ball trophy.
Who won the last Golden Ball trophy?
Croatian Luka Modric took home the FIFA player of the tournament trophy (Golden Ball).
Which nations are the favourites to lift the world cup trophy?
Brazil is the main favourite to win it all followed by France, England, Argentina, and Spain.
Which nation has the most FIFA player of the tournament trophies?
Italy, Brazil, and Argentina have won this award twice. (Rossi and Schillaci for Italy, Romario and Ronaldo for Brazil, and Maradona and Messi for Argentina).
Full Prediction: https://footballwhispers.com/blog/golden-ball-predictions/
TAGS: #Golden #Ball #Predictions #Qatar #World #Cup
Leave a Reply