Lionel Messi wins second Golden Ball, Kylian Mbappe secures Golden Boot at 2022 World Cup
Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball for a second time as Kylian Mbappe scooped the Golden Boot following a spectacular World Cup 2022 final at Lusail Iconic Stadium.
After ending his World Cup career with a highly-anticipated World Cup winners’ medal, Messi also scooped the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player.
The 35-year-old ended the competition with seven goals and three assists under his belt from seven matches to win his second Golden Ball award, having also clinched the individual honour in 2014.
Defending champions France had the chance to become just the third country in history to win successive World Cups, but a spirited fightback against Argentina counted for nought as they lost 4-2 on penalties following a 3-3 draw.
Messi and Angel Di Maria put La Albiceleste in cruise control in the first half, but an Mbappe brace in the second half completed a remarkable Bleus turnaround.
Lionel Scaloni’s side would restore their advantage in extra time through Messi once again, but another Mbappe penalty meant that spot kicks would be needed to settle an enthralling contest.
While Messi, Paulo Dybala, Leandro Paredes and Gonzalo Montiel all converted for Argentina, Aurelien Tchouameni and Kingsley Coman missed for France to hand La Albiceleste their third World Cup crown
Since the current Golden Ball award was introduced in 1982, Messi has now become the only player to scoop the honour more than once, and the only other Argentine to win it was Diego Maradona in 1986.
The Silver Ball went to Mbappe, who also received the consolation prize of the Golden Boot for the World Cup’s highest goalscorer after finding the back of the net eight times in Qatar.
The 23-year-old – who was named the best young player of the 2018 World Cup – beat Messi by one goal to claim the Golden Boot, and his eight strikes is the joint-most at a finals since Gerd Muller scored 10 in 1970
Mbappe’s hat trick on Sunday was only the second treble in a World Cup final after Sir Geoff Hurst for England in 1966, and the ex-Three Lions star congratulated the 23-year-old on joining that exclusive club.
Mbappe has also become just the second Golden Boot-winning Frenchman following Just Fontaine’s landmark 13 strikes in 1958, and the final two individual honours both went to Argentina.
Number one Emiliano Martinez won the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper of the tournament, keeping three clean sheets and saving from Coman in the final shootout.
Twenty-one-year-old Benfica starlet Enzo Fernandez won the FIFA Young Player award, becoming the first-ever Argentine to be handed the honour at the World Cup.
Finally, quarter-finalists England have travelled home with the FIFA Fair Play Trophy, having only picked up one booking during the entire competition, which went to Harry Maguire against France
