With the 2026 World Cup approaching, FIFA is intensifying expectations by releasing historical data and interesting facts about the tournament daily. This daily statistical information serves to warm up fans for the next edition of the world championship.
No other athlete, in the entire history of the World Cup, has managed to win more than one adidas Ballon d’Or award. Lionel Messi stood out in the 2014 edition, held in Brazil, by scoring four goals, three of them impressive, leading the Argentine team to runner-up. On that occasion, he left behind big names like Germany’s Thomas Müller and Dutchman Arjen Robben in the race for the championship’s coveted individual recognition.
Lionel Messi’s individual recognition at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™
The prestigious adidas Ballon d’Or trophy is awarded to the player considered the most outstanding in each edition of the FIFA World Cup. Those who obtain second and third positions in the voting receive, respectively, the honors of the adidas Silver Ball and adidas Bronze Ball, recognizing them as the second and third most influential athletes in the championship.
Participating in his fifth World Cup, Lionel Messi managed to lift the much-desired trophy at Qatar 2022. Argentina’s historic success, after 36 years of waiting, was largely driven by the masterful performance of the striker, nicknamed the “Atomic Flea”, who found the net on seven occasions, two of those decisive goals scored in the grand final.
In addition to Messi, the history of the World Cup records four other players who reached the podium on two occasions. Italian Paolo Rossi was awarded the adidas Silver Ball in 1978 and then the Golden Ball four years later. Argentine icon Diego Maradona won the Ballon d’Or in 1986 and received the adidas Bronze Ball in 1990. Brazilian Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d’Or in 1998 and the Silver Ball in 2002, while Croatian Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or in 2018 and the Bronze Ball in 2022.
