Golden Ball wins Diego Forlan

Diego Forlan wins the Golden Ball award at the 2010 World Cup after leading Uruguay to a fourth-place finish in the tournament.

Forlan tallied five goals in the tournament and was also in the running for the Golden Boot award, but that honor went to Germany’s Thomas Müller, who won the tiebreaker with most assists. It’s the first time since 1990 that neither award winner played in the final match. Salvatore Schillaci won the 1990 Golden Ball despite Italy’s loss to Argentina in the semifinals that yea

adidas Golden Ball past winners:

1982 FIFA World Cup -Spain: Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1986 FIFA World Cup – Mexico: Diego Maradona (Argentina)
1990 FIFA World Cup – Italy: Salvatore Schillaci (Italy)
1994 FIFA World Cup – USA: Romario (Brazil)
1998 FIFA World Cup – France: Ronaldo (Brazil
2002 FIFA World Cup – Korea / Japan: Oliver Kahn (Germany)
2006 FIFA World Cup – Germany: Zinedine Zidane (France)

adidas Golden Ball: Diego Forlan (Uruguay)

Diego Forlan has been named Best Player at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Uruguay striker topped the prestigious poll of accredited media representatives ahead of the Netherlands’ Wesley Sneijder and Spain hitman David Villa. The 31-year-old Forlan took the starring role in his country’s heroic performance at the FIFA World Cup finals.

The striker’s five goals propelled his team to the last four at the global showdown for the first time in 40 years, underscoring his status as one of the modern greats and the undisputed figurehead of his team. Forlan was the fulcrum and focus of all his team’s best attacking moves. The South Americans fell 3-2 to the Dutch in the semi-finals, but their overall performance at the tournament holds out enormous hope for the future, and Forlan has been justly recognised for his stellar contribution to the diminutive nation’s success