Copa America Golden Ball is a prestigious award that all football players want to win. The winner of the Copa America Golden Ball is regarded as the best player in the tournament. But do you know which criteria the Copa America Golden Ball winner is selected? In this blog, we will discuss the criteria for selecting the Copa America Golden Ball winner and Copa America Golden Ball winners by year list from 1959 to 2021.
Criteria for Selecting the Copa America Golden Ball Winner
There’s no official set of criteria for the Copa America Golden Ball. It’s chosen by a panel of experts, typically journalists and former players, who consider a variety of factors throughout the tournament. Here are some of the things they likely take into account:
- Individual performance: This includes goals scored, assists made, successful tackles, key passes, and overall influence on the game.
- Leadership and sportsmanship: Does the player lead by example? Do they show good sportsmanship on the field?
- Impact on the team’s success: Does the player’s performance directly contribute to the team’s wins and progress in the tournament?
- Consistency: Does the player perform well throughout the entire tournament, or just in a few games?
Copa America Golden Ball Winners
The Copa America Golden Ball is awarded to the best player of the tournament. Here are the winners up to my last update:
- 1959 – Enrique Hormazábal (Chile)
- 1963 – Pelé (Brazil)
- 1975 – José Daniel Valencia (Colombia)
- 1979 – Diego Maradona (Argentina)
- 1983 – Carlos Aguilera (Uruguay)
- 1987 – Carlos Valderrama (Colombia)
- 1989 – Bebeto (Brazil)
- 1991 – Leonardo Rodríguez (Argentina)
- 1993 – Leonardo Rodríguez (Argentina)
- 1995 – Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina)
- 1997 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
- 1999 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
- 2001 – Américo Gallego (Argentina)
- 2004 – Adriano (Brazil)
- 2007 – Robinho (Brazil)
- 2011 – Luis Suárez (Uruguay)
- 2015 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2016 – Alexis Sánchez (Chile)
- 2019 – Dani Alves (Brazil)
- 2021 – Lionel Messi (Argentina) & Neymar (Brazil)
Final Thoughts
Copa America Golden Ball shows the award is about amazing skills and helping your team win. Will there be more shared wins? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure – the Golden Ball celebrates the stars who shine brightest on the Copa America stage!