Zlatan Ibrahimović has expressed his view that Lionel Messi deserved to win the Golden Ball at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite Spain midfielder Rodri being named the tournament’s best player.
In response to the announcement, Softfootball reported that the former Swedish international criticized the selection criteria for the award, asserting that Messi’s contributions throughout the competition merited recognition as the top player.
Zlatan said:
What else did Messi have to do to win it? I genuinely don’t understand the criteria anymore. If you look back at 2018, Luka Modrić won the Golden Ball without winning the World Cup.
So what changed now? Messi carried Argentina throughout the tournament, delivered when it mattered most, and was once again the player everyone feared. If that wasn’t enough, then tell me what is. It feels like the standards are always different when it comes to Messi.
Every other player gets judged one way, but with him, people suddenly move the goalposts. It’s always against Messi. I’m happy for Rodri, but from a football perspective, I don’t think anyone had a stronger case than Messi.
Spain concluded a remarkable World Cup journey by defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final, securing their second world title. Rodri received the Golden Ball after guiding La Roja through an unbeaten tournament, while Messi led Argentina to their second consecutive World Cup final, finishing as runners-up.
