Every World Cup MVP: Who won the Golden Ball in every tournament

The article reviews the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, awarded to the tournament’s standout player and presented during the closing ceremony after the final. FIFA creates a shortlist of top performers, then accredited media vote to determine the winner. The honor has been in place since the 1982 World Cup and is sponsored by Adidas and France Football. The piece lists each Golden Ball recipient by tournament, starting with Paolo Rossi in 1982, whose six goals helped Italy win the title. It then covers Diego Maradona in 1986 and Salvatore Schillaci in 1990, the latter becoming the first World Cup MVP without winning the tournament. It continues through Romário in 1994, Ronaldo in 1998, and includes Oliver Kahn as goalkeeper winner in 2002.