World Cup 2018: Top 7 contenders to win the Golden Ball after the completion of group stage
The FIFA World Cup has provided fans with some enthralling action over the past 2-3 weeks or so. Fans have been treated with some of the best goals and some unrealistic goalkeeping. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane have lived up to their expectations whereas, the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar have been disastrous.
The tournament has seen a lot of upsets and surprises. The main one being, Germany's ouster from the World Cup in the group stage itself. They lost against Mexico but the most shocking one was against the Republic of Korea. Argentina could have faced a similar situation as the Germans but a late winner from Marcus Rojo ensured that they qualified.
The Golden Ball will be awarded to the best player of the tournament. Players like Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane have won the prestigious award in the past. After the completion of the group stage, there are a few players who are heads and shoulders ahead of the others. Here's a look at the top 7 candidates to win the Golden Ball award for this year's World Cup:
#7 Diego Costa
The Atletico Madrid forward has been in stunning form at this year's World Cup. He has been instrumental for Spain having scored thrice in 3 matches so far. His brace against Portugal is one of the main reasons that Spain are still in with a chance of lifting the coveted World Cup. His brace was nearly as good as Ronaldo's hat trick in the same game. He also scored once against a stubborn and resilient Iran.
He has been the main man for Spain in what has been a rather disappointing campaign for them. It was David Silva and Isco who grabbed the limelight but since the beginning of the tournament, it has been a Diego Costa show. He has scored 10 times in 23 appearances for his nation. The former Chelsea man will look to add to that tally against Russia in the Round of 16.
He could be a strong contender for the Golden Ball if Spain can reach the Semi Final or the Final as they would definitely need a strong performance from him.