There is the ‘golden boot’ winners from each World Cup event, as well as the ‘golden ball’ award. In addition, there are a few lesser known awards awarded by FIFA at the conclusion of each World Cup tournament.
List of FIFA World Cup Awards
- Golden Ball Winners (best player)
- Golden Boot Winners (top goal scorer)
- Golden Glove Award – for best goalkeeper (first awarded in 1994)
- Best Young Player – award for best player under 21 years of age (calculated at the start of the calendar year). First awarded in 2006.
- Fair Play Trophy – for the team with the best record of fair play. First awarded in 1970.
- Most Entertaining Team Award – for the team that has entertained the public the most during the World Cup final tournament, as determined by a poll of the general public. First awarded in 1994.
- All-Star Team – announced for each tournament (since 1990), comprising the best players of the tournament.
Did you know that Soccer is played on every continent and the soccer World Cup is the most viewed event in the world, with over 30 billion people watching the 2006 World Cup in Germanyand even more in South Africa 2010. 30 Billion – that’s more than the world’s population I hear you say. Well, this figure is an ‘accumulated’ audience, meaning if people watched more than one game, which most people did, they were counted each time.
CONGRATULATIONS to Spain, the 2010 Champions. The next event is in 2018 in Russia. It will be held 14 June – 15 July 2018. Also congratulations to the future hosts Qatar.
- Want to impress your friends with facts and figures? Have a look at the World Cup Trivia section.
- Here is a list of previous winners, and the history of the World Cup. Next to host this major event is Brazil in 2010. See all the FIFA World Cup Awards
- And don’t forget, the women also have their own Women’s World Cup, which was last held in Germany in 2011, and the next tournament is to be held in Canada in 2015.