Messi did not deserve the golden ball, says Maradona

Divided opinions about the real winner of the Golden Ball

Argentina forward Lionel Messi did not deserve to win the World Cup "Golden Ball" as the tournament's best player, according to his compatriot and former great Diego Maradona.

Messi received the award after Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany in the final on Sunday but he looked far from happy as he went up to collect the trophy. "I could see he didn't want to go up and collect it," Maradona said on his television show "De zurda", adding that "marketing people" had made a decision he described as "unfair".

Messi scored four goals in the group stage but he failed to find the net in the knockout rounds and was very passive in the final. FIFA president Sepp Blatter also expressed surprise at the choice on Monday which was made by the football governing body's technical study group.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, however, backed the decision to give the award to his team's captain. "I think he did deserve it. He played an extraordinary World Cup and he was a fundamental factor to our team," Sabella said.

Maradona, said that Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez should have won the award after scoring six goals in Brazil and that Germany won due to a misunderstanding in the defense, but at no point they were better than Argentina.

By Adriana Rueda

Source: Reuters

Image: Reuters