As well as the big, gold, beautiful accolade that is the World Cup trophy, several other gongs were distributed after Sunday’s thrilling final between Argentina and France. Lionel Messi took home the Golden Ball, recognising the best player at a World Cup tournament. There was the consolation prize of the Golden Boot for Kylian Mbappe, in recognition of his eight-goal haul. Emiliano Martinez took home the Golden Glove, given to the best goalkeeper. You’ve probably seen what he did with the award. Enzo Fernandez scooped the Young Player award.
What next for this smorgasbord of superb talent? They have shook the world and, in the case of three of the four, captured the sport’s ultimate prize. Each performed miracles on football’s biggest stage, gifting us moments that will live on forever. Whatever they do for the remainder of their careers; Messi, Mbappe, Martinez and Fernandez will be inextricably linked to the 2022 World Cup.
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But what is to come for this elite group? How will the 2022 World Cup’s high-achievers perform on their return to club football? In order to find out, The Sportsman has looked back at the post-tournament plight of some of their predecessors.
The most recent holder of the Young Player award before Fernandez was Mbappe. The fact he reached another final four years later bodes well if the young Argentine is looking to emulate his forebear. Mbappe kept up his immense performance levels in the season following the 2018 World Cup too. The 33 goals he scored in 29 Ligue 1 games remains his career-best total in a single campaign. PSG lifted the league title, with Mbappe also scoring in their French Super Cup win.
Paul Pogba scooped the award at the 2014 tournament, before playing a major role in a domestic double for Juventus. His ten goals across 41 games was his then-best return so far. Thomas Muller was prolific as Bayern Munich picked up a Bundesliga title after his 2010 win. You have to go as far back as 2006 to find the last Young Player winner not to seal their club’s domestic title upon his return. Podolski struggled to adjust to life at Bayern having sealed a move from FC Koln on the strength of his World Cup heroics. The striker managed just seven games in 34 games in his first season at the Allianz Arena.
The Golden Glove, initially known as the Lev Yashin award, is a comparatively recent invention. USA 94 was the first tournament to crown a finest goalkeeper, with Belgium’s Michel Preud'homme taking the prize. 1998 winner Fabien Barthez would go trophyless in the season following his win, but did win the 1999-2000 Ligue 1 title with AS Monaco. He then went on to become one of Manchester United’s many attempts to replace Peter Schmeichel.
Oliver Kahn was an ever-present as Bayern Munich claimed the German double in the season following his 2002 triumph. Iker Casillas had less luck after his 2010 triumph, seeing his Real Madrid side lose the Champions League semi final and La Liga title to great rivals Barcelona. Los Blancos did get their own back in the Copa Del Rey final, with Casillas keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win in yet another El Clasico.
2018 Golden Boot winner Harry Kane followed up his success with five goals as Tottenham Hotspur reached the 2019 Champions League final. The England captain was not fully fit for that final, as Liverpool won 2-0. Ronaldo is another player who knows the sting of being unfit for a major final, as his Brazil side lost the 1998 World Cup showpiece with the striker nursing an injury. But he rebounded in 2002 to lift the trophy with a final brace. ‘El Fenomeno’ also won the Golden Boot. A move to Real Madrid followed, where his 30 goals in 44 games were not enough for La Liga or Champions League success in 2002-03.
1986 top scorer Gary Lineker also couldn’t inspire his club to Spanish silverware in the season following his Golden Boot. 20 goals in 41 La Liga games was a fine personal return, though. James Rodriguez’s heroics for Colombia secured him a dream move to Real Madrid. He enjoyed success in another World Cup that year, helping Los Blancos to lift Fifa’s club version. Rodriguez played the full 90 minutes of a 2-0 win over San Lorenzo in the Club World Cup final.
So what of the Golden Ball winners? Those players who were anointed as the greatest player at the greatest of tournaments? The inaugural official winner, Paolo Rossi, tasted defeat in the European Cup final after being the finest player in Italy’s 1982 triumph. Diego Maradona, 1986’s player of the competition, won a domestic double with Napoli upon his club return.
More recently, Luka Modric collected a Ballon d’Or after his Golden Ball triumph, but his side Real Madrid only won the Club World Cup, missing out on La Liga and the Champions League. This year’s winner, Messi, also claimed the gong in 2014. He added a Barcelona treble to it, claiming the Champions League, La Liga and Copa Del Rey.
For the most part, the finest footballers at a World Cup go on to replicate their success. Even though not all of them return to lift a trophy at club level, their own performances don’t tend to drop. This news should be particularly comforting for Mbappe. While the other three recipients of individual awards can also look back on winning a World Cup, Mbappe has to swallow his disappointment. But he can, and likely will, come back stronger.
A moment of disappointment for England fans though. Winning the Fair Play award was an unexpected late boost after more tournament disappointment. But the reigning Fair Play holders have only ever gone on to win the following World Cup once, when Spain parlayed their 2006 recognition into a 2010 triumph. On the balance of probability, it just isn’t coming home in 2026.
