FIFA World Cup awards facts for kids
The FIFA World Cup is the biggest soccer competition on Earth. When the tournament ends, special honors are presented to outstanding players. These honors celebrate goals, great saves, skill, and wonderful sportsmanship.
Teams that finish near the top earn medals. First place takes home the gold, second place earns the silver, and third place gets the bronze. The world champions lift the famous FIFA World Cup Trophy after the final. An older prize called the Jules Rimet Trophy was given permanently to the Brazilian Football Confederation after the Brazil team won their third title in 1970. FIFA also hands out special individual awards.
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Major FIFA World Cup Trophies
Experts from FIFA study every match to choose the best performers. Fans also vote online for their favorite players and moments.
The Golden Ball for Best Player
The Golden Ball goes to the overall best player in the tournament. Journalists pick the winner from a list made by FIFA experts. The runner-up receives the Silver Ball, and the third-place finisher receives the Bronze Ball.
This award started at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. Italy's star striker Paolo Rossi was the first winner. Many legendary stars have won this prize over the years. Diego Maradona won it for Argentina in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The great Brazilian forward Romário earned it at the 1994 tournament, and Ronaldo won it in 1998.
German star Oliver Kahn is the only goalkeeper to win the award, doing so in 2002. France midfielder Zinedine Zidane won the trophy at the 2006 event. Uruguayan striker Diego Forlán received the prize at the 2010 World Cup. Croatian playmaker Luka Modrić earned the honor at the 2018 tournament. Spanish midfielder Rodri claimed the prize at the 2026 competition. Lionel Messi made soccer history by winning the Golden Ball twice, first in 2014 and again in 2022.
The Golden Boot for Top Goalscorer
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The Golden Boot honors the player who scores the most goals during the tournament. It was originally called the Golden Shoe in 1982 before receiving its current name in 2010.
If two players tie on goals, the player with the most goal assists wins. If they are still tied, the player who played fewer total minutes wins. Silver and Bronze Boots go to the second and third top scorers.
Long before 1982, top scorers were tracked closely. Argentina forward Guillermo Stábile led the scoring at the first World Cup in 1930. Czech star Oldřich Nejedlý led in 1934, and Brazilian icon Leônidas scored the most in 1938. Brazil's Ademir led in 1950, while Hungarian forward Sándor Kocsis dominated the 1954 tournament. In 1958, French striker Just Fontaine scored 13 goals, which remains a single-tournament record. Portugal superstar Eusébio led the charts at the 1966 event. Germany's Gerd Müller scored ten goals in 1970. Polish winger Grzegorz Lato led in 1974, and Argentina's Mario Kempes led in 1978.
When the official shoe trophy began, England's Gary Lineker won it in 1986. Italy's Salvatore Schillaci won in 1990. Bulgaria's Hristo Stoichkov and Russia's Oleg Salenko shared the honor in 1994. Croatia's Davor Šuker took the prize in 1998. Brazil's Ronaldo took home the trophy in 2002, and German striker Miroslav Klose won in 2006.
Recent tournaments have seen amazing scoring displays. German star Thomas Müller won in 2010. Colombia's James Rodríguez won the boot in 2014, and England captain Harry Kane took the award in 2018. French forward Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot in 2022 and again in 2026.
The Golden Glove for Outstanding Goalkeeping
The Golden Glove honors the best goalkeeper of the World Cup. It was named the Lev Yashin Award in 1994 after the famous goalie from the Soviet team. In 2010, FIFA renamed it the Golden Glove.
Belgium's Michel Preud'homme was the first winner in 1994. French goalie Fabien Barthez earned the prize in 1998, followed by Germany's Oliver Kahn in 2002. Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon won it in 2006. Spain captain Iker Casillas claimed the trophy in 2010, while Germany's Manuel Neuer won it in 2014. Belgium's Thibaut Courtois won the glove in 2018, and Emiliano Martínez earned it for Argentina in 2022. Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón won the award at the 2026 finals.
The FIFA Young Player Award
This award celebrates the best rising talent who is 21 years old or younger. It began officially at the 2006 tournament, where Germany's Lukas Podolski won the first prize.
FIFA later hosted a worldwide vote to pick the best young player for tournaments dating back to 1958. Brazilian legend Pelé was chosen for his amazing play in 1958 at just 17 years old. Other retrospective winners include German defender Franz Beckenbauer in 1966, Peruvian star Teófilo Cubillas in 1970, Polish defender Władysław Żmuda in 1974, Italian defender Antonio Cabrini in 1978, French defender Manuel Amoros in 1982, and Belgian midfielder Enzo Scifo in 1986. Croatian star Robert Prosinečki was picked for 1990, Dutch winger Marc Overmars for 1994, English striker Michael Owen for 1998, and American forward Landon Donovan for 2002.
Recent young winners include France's Paul Pogba in 2014, France's Kylian Mbappé in 2018, Argentina's Enzo Fernández in 2022, and Spain defender Pau Cubarsí in 2026.
Team and Fan Recognitions
World Cup soccer also rewards sporting behavior and spectacular moments that thrill spectators.
Fair Play and Entertainment Awards
The FIFA Fair Play Trophy is given to the team with the cleanest match record. Only squads that reach the knockout rounds are eligible. Winners receive medals, a trophy, and money to help youth soccer programs. The Peru squad was the first winner in 1970 because they received zero penalty cards. From 1982 to 1990, the physical trophy featured Sport Billy, a popular cartoon character who stood for good manners in sports.
Between 1994 and 2006, FIFA asked fans to vote for the Most Entertaining Team. This went to the side that brought the most joy and exciting attack play to the crowds.
Match and Tournament Highlights
During every game, fans vote online for the Player of the Match. This award recognizes the standout athlete on the field. Superstars like Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo have won this match award multiple times throughout their careers.
FIFA also lets fans choose the Goal of the Tournament. Memorable winners include a stunning volley by Argentina's Maxi Rodríguez in 2006, a curling strike by Uruguay's Diego Forlán in 2010, an amazing chest-and-volley goal by Colombia's James Rodríguez in 2014, a spinning shot by France defender Benjamin Pavard in 2018, and an acrobatic scissor kick by Brazil's Richarlison in 2022. Cape Verde player Sidny Lopes Cabral won the award in 2026.
Fans also vote on the World Cup Dream Team. This fantasy lineup picks the top goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and forwards of the tournament. It replaced the older FIFA All-Star teams chosen by technical study groups, giving soccer supporters everywhere a chance to celebrate their heroes.
See also
- FIFA Women's World Cup awards
- UEFA European Championship awards
- Copa América awards
- Africa Cup of Nations awards
- AFC Asian Cup awards
- CONCACAF Gold Cup awards
- OFC Nations Cup awards
