THE PLAYER of the Match award has gone to the standout performer in every World Cup fixture since 2002.
Most players who appear at a World Cup never win one. A small group have collected three or more in a single tournament, which puts them among the finest individual campaigns the competition has produced.
These hauls tend to belong to the players who carried their nations deep into the knockout rounds, which is part of why they draw attention well beyond the pitch, including across sports betting coverage that follows tournament form closely. The list is short, and one name appears on it twice.
In this article, we count down the five players with the most Player of the Match awards at a single World Cup.
Lionel Messi at Qatar 2022
Lionel Messi set the single-tournament record in 2022, named Player of the Match five times as Argentina won their third world title. He took the award in the group win over Mexico, then in all four knockout games against Australia, the Netherlands, Croatia and France. He also became the first man to score in the group stage, last 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final of the same World Cup. Those five awards form part of his all-time tally of 11 across five tournaments.
Lionel Messi at Brazil 2014
Eight years earlier, Messi had already hinted at what was coming. He won four Player of the Match awards in Brazil, most of them during the group stage as he carried a functional Argentina side towards the final. He scored four goals across that opening run, often deciding games on his own. Argentina lost the final 1-0 to Germany after extra time, but Messi still took the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
Wesley Sneijder at South Africa 2010
Wesley Sneijder matched that tally in 2010, a year when he was arguably the best midfielder in the world. He won four awards as the Netherlands reached the final, scoring five goals on the way, including both in the quarter-final win over Brazil.
The Dutch lost the final 1-0 to Spain after extra time. Sneijder finished second in the voting for the Golden Ball, having gone close to dragging his side to the title.
These deep runs are remembered partly because they arrived when interest in the World Cup is at its highest, which is also when promotions such as free bets are most visible. The award itself rewards week-to-week consistency rather than one performance.
Andrea Pirlo at Germany 2006
Andrea Pirlo controlled Italy’s midfield throughout their 2006 win and was named Player of the Match three times, more than anyone else at the tournament. His no-look assist for Fabio Grosso’s opener in the semi-final against the hosts was the high point of his campaign. He took the award again in the final against France, a match settled on penalties after Zinedine Zidane was sent off. Pirlo collected the Bronze Ball as the third-best player in Germany.
Rivaldo at South Korea and Japan 2002
The award made its debut in 2002, and Rivaldo was the first player to receive it. He won it three times as Brazil lifted their fifth world title, the most of any player that year. Often overshadowed in that side by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, Rivaldo scored in each of Brazil’s opening five matches. His three set the original benchmark, equalled by Pirlo in 2006 before Sneijder and then Messi pushed the mark higher.
Article written by Nico Jenkins
