Lionel Messi kisses World Cup after winning the Golden Ball award

Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball award after scoring seven goals in the 2022 World Cup tournament.

Messi scored twice in the final against France, Argentina’s first and third goals in the 3-3 draw.

The 35-year-old missed out on the Golden Boot award after France forward Kylian Mbappe scored a stunning hat-trick in the final, taking his total to eight goals overall.

This is the second time Messi has now won the Golden Ball, he was also named player of the tournament at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

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