Colombia’s star midfielder James Rodriguez has been nominated for the World Cup’s most prestigious most valuable player award, the Golden Ball, according to FIFA.
FIFA announced 10 nominees for the coveted Golden Ball award on Friday to be awarded to the most outstanding player at the World Cup, an honor which, according to FIFA, “has gone to truly exceptional players in past tournaments.”
James is the only nominee in the category who didn’t participate in the semifinals of the World Cup, winning best player of the match three times, according to Colombia’s El Tiempo newspaper.
Rodriguez’s count of six goals in five World Cup appearances blasted Colombia into the quarterfinals for the first time in Colombian football history while ensuring his nomination for the Golden Ball.
Other nominees include:
- Neymar (Brazil)
- Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
- Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
- Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- Mats Hummels (Germany)
- Toni Kroos (Germany)
- Phillip Lahm (Germany)
- Thomas Mueller (Germany)
The Technical Study Group of FIFA will deliver the award, which originated in 1982, to the best player of the tournament after the final whistle concludes the last game of the 2014 World Cup.
The last Golden Ball was awarded to Uruguay’s Diego Forlan at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.