Who will win the 2022 World Cup Golden Ball?
The Golden Ball is handed out to the best player at the World Cup and awarded by the FIFA technical committee.
The winner will likely be on the field of play when France take on Argentina in the final on Sunday. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have led their sides to the finale at Lusail Iconic Stadium and whoever comes out on top may claim the award.
While those two Paris Saint-Germain stars are the favourites, there are a few others in with a shout of being named the best player at the 2022 World Cup.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is a former World Cup Golden Ball winner, being named the best player of the 2014 tournament. That was a slightly controversial decision, given Messi wasn't at his sparkling best as Argentina were beaten finalists, but this year he would be a deserving winner.
The PSG forward is also a Golden Boot contender and may end up with awards if Argentina do beat France. With five goals and three assists, he'd be a worthy winner.
Kylian Mbappe
On the other side of the equation is Kylian Mbappe. France weren't fancied at the start of the tournament due to their lengthy injury list, but with Mbappe they've retained the lethal threat that made them champions in 2018.
Like Messi, Mbappe has scored five times in Qatar and has wowed crowds with his impressive pace and some thunderbolt strikes. If France beat Argentina, the PSG forward will almost certainly have impacted the result.
Antoine Griezmann
The 2022 World Cup has served as a reminder to the wider footballing world that Antoine Griezmann remains an incredibly gifted player.
Now playing deeper than his 2018 number ten role, the Atletico Madrid star has retained his creative streak but added bite to his defensive play, constantly regaining possession while setting up three goals.
Julian Alvarez
Part of what has made Messi so good at this World Cup has been the relentless energy of teammate Julian Alvarez in attack.
The Manchester City youngster took his chance when handed a start against Poland and proved the difference in Argentina's semi final victory over Croatia where he scored twice.
Olivier Giroud
After a dry 2018 World Cup, Giroud has exploded into life at Qatar with vital goals for France.
Leading Les Bleus' well balanced attack, the former Arsenal striker has quashed any rumours of a spat with Mbappe and the pair have formed a brilliant partnership. The Golden Ball may be a step too far, but Giroud is certainly now rated among the best strikers in the world.
Sofyan Amrabat
It's certainly an outside bet, but Sofyan Amrabat was arguably the breakout star of the 2022 World Cup.
He had been linked with a move away from Fiorentina last year but will likely have his pick of the clubs whenever he chooses to move after his tireless displays in Morocco's midfield helped them to the semi finals.
Who won the 2018 World Cup Golden Ball?
The 2018 World Cup Golden Ball was scooped by Croatia legend Luka Modric.
The Real Madrid midfielder put in dazzling displays during the Balkan nation's run to the final, scoring twice in the tournament before Croatia were beaten by France in the final.
Modric would go on to win that year's Ballon d'Or, breaking the stranglehold Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi previously had on the award.