The Golden Ball trophy is awarded to the best player at the World Cup. A shortlist is drawn up by the FIFA technical committee and the winner voted for by the media. Not to be confused with the Golden Boot, which is awarded to the top scorer in the tournament. In the men’s World Cup, it was first awarded in the 1982 edition, and in the women’s World Cup it has been awarded since 1991. Runners-up receive the Silver Ball and third place the Bronze Ball.
In 2023, England’s Lucy Bronze actually won the Silver Ball, just missing out on both the player of the tournament and a Bronze for Bronze.
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