Like all other editions, the golden ball award will be presented to the best player of the competition. The primary shortlist will be drawn up by the FIFA Technical Committee and the winner will be subsequently voted by media representatives. The runner-up and the second runner-up are presented with the silver and bronze ball awards respectively.
Cristiano Ronaldo won the golden ball in 2017 (Image- Marca)
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the most number of individual awards (4) including one golden ball. Whereas Lionel Messi is the only player to have won two golden balls.
Four Brazilians have won the golden ball awards, including midfield legend Kaka, the most by any nation. Meanwhile, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are the two most successful clubs with four golden ball winners each.
Thiago Silva won the golden ball in 2021 (Image- Metro UK)
Let us now take a look at the golden ball winner in the FIFA Club World Cup to date:
FC Barcelona vs CA Osasuna Laliga 2024-25 | Match Preview, Head-to-head Stats, Predicted Line-up, and Fantasy XI Prediction
Read the full match preview, head-to-head stats, predicted line-up, and fantasy XI prediction of the FC Barcelona vs CA Osasuna match of the Laliga 2024-25 at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
FC Barcelona is set to host CA Osasuna on matchday 28 of the Laliga 2024-25 campaign. The match was rescheduled after the tragic death of Barcelona's first team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia. The Spanish League encounter will take place on Friday, March 28, after players return from their national duties. Both sides should produce a good match.
Here is the full match preview, head-to-head stats, predicted line-up, and fantasy XI prediction of the FC Barcelona vs CA Osasuna match of the Laliga 2024-25 at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
FC Barcelona might have some players in the tiring stage. Players like Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and more are serving their nations in the UEFA Nations League and FIFA World Cup qualifiers and might not be 100% fit. Hansi Flick's managed side might face some issues. However, they are at the top of the table and will be looking to extend the lead and keep their place at the top.
CA Osasuna:
Image Credit: X
On the other hand, CA Osasuna will be going to face an in-form side of Barcelona, and their winning percentage is too low. But the last time when they faced both FC Barcelona successfully secured a three-point over FC Barcelona. Hansi Flick's lads scored a couple of goals, but they lost because of their loose defensive technique, hope this time they will not make the same mistake.
Kick-Off:
Image Credit: X
Venue: Camp Nou Stadium
Kick-Off: 1:30 am IST
Date: Friday, March 28
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Recent Form:
FC Barcelona:
Image Credit: X
Sevilla 1-4 FC Barcelona (Away, Laliga)
FC Barcelona 1-0 Rayo Vallecano (Home, Laliga)
Las Palmas 0-2 FC Barcelona (Away, Laliga)
FC Barcelona 4-0 Real Sociedad (Home, Laliga)
Atletico Madrid 2-4 FC Barcelona (Away, Laliga)
CA Osasuna:
Image Credit: x
Mallorca 1-1 CA Osasuna (Away, Laliga)
CA Osasuna 1-1 Real Madrid (Home, Laliga)
Celta Vigo 1-0 CA Osasuna (Away, Laliga)
CA Osasuna 3-3 Valencia (Home, Laliga)
CA Osasuna 1-2 Getafe (Home, Laliga)
Head-to-head Stats:
Total matches: 24
Barcelona won: 18
Osasuna won: 3
Draws: 3
Predicted Line-Up:
FC Barcelona:
Wojciech Szczesny (GK), Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Inigo Martinez, Alejandro Balde, Gerrard Martin, Pedri, Frankie De-Jong, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal.
Manager: Mr. Hansi Flick]
CA Osasuna:
Sergio Herrera (GK), Areso, Juan Cruz, Boyomo, Catena, Ruben Garcia, Kike Barja, Iker Munoz, Raul, Budimir, Jose Arnaiz,
Manager: Vincente Moreno
Fantasy XI:
Wojciech Szczesny (GK), Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Juan Cruz, Alejandro Balde, Kike Barja, Pedri, Gerrard Martin, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Budimir.
Costa Rican side Deportiva Alajuelense demand Club World Cup spot following Club Leon's exclusion
Following the removal of Mexican side Club Leon from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, Costa Rican club Deportiva Alajuelense are sparking controversy, claiming to be awarded the slot.
The decision has been made due to the violation of FIFA regulations that prohibit multi-ownership among teams competing in the same tournament.
However, Costa Rican side Deportiva Alajuelense have sparked up significant controversy as they have claimed the vacant slot in an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), alleging that Leon and Pachuca, the Mexican clubs sharing common ownership, should be debarred from the tournament.
❌ 2025 Club World Cup currently have 31/32 clubs confirmed, after removal of 🇲🇽 Club León due to a multi-club ownership.
🇨🇷 Alajuelense from Costa Rica, which filed this complaint in the first place, are the most likely replacement, but FIFA are yet to confirm that. pic.twitter.com/tS6PA65kBY
Club Leon's exclusion from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Club leon (Imge Credit | Getty)
FIFA confirmed on Friday that Club Leon failed to meet the criteria stated in Article 10, Paragraph 1 of the tournament regulations. The Club ownership rule has been explained in this article, which clearly states the following:
No individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in the Competition, such control or influence being defined in this context as:
i) holding a majority of the shareholders’ voting rights;
ii) having the right to appoint or remove a majority of the members of the administrative, management or supervisory body of the club;
iii) being a shareholder and alone controlling a majority of the shareholders’ voting rights pursuant to an agreement entered into with other shareholders of the club; or
iv) being able to exercise by any means a decisive influence in the decision-making of the club.
According to these rules, Club Leon failed to comply with the regulation as they are owned by Grupo Pachuca, which also owns Pachuca, another Mexican side participating in this tournament from the Concacaf spot.
FIFA stated in an official statement that "Pachuca and Club León failed to meet the criteria on multi-club ownership". The statment says:
After having evaluated all evidence on file, the chairman of the FIFA Appeal Committee has decided that CF Pachuca and Club León failed to meet the criteria on multi-club ownership defined under article 10 paragraph 1 of the Regulations for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.
In line with article 10 paragraph 4 of the Regulations for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, FIFA has determined that Club León will be removed from the competition, with the club to be admitted as a replacement to be announced in due course.
Recently, representatives from the Pachuca and Leon football clubs met with FIFA to insist that the two clubs operate independently, even though they share some shareholders. Despite the efforts, FIFA was not convinced and ruled against Leon, leaving another controversy concerning the participating teams.
Club Leon earned their place in the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup as they won the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2023, a tournament that was also won by Pachuca in 2024, ensuring their qualification as well.
Leon decided to appeal against FIFA's decision
Bajan del Mundial de Clubes a un equipo mexicano 🔽
Vaya lío se fue metiendo la #FIFA. Alajuelense se la jugó y, aunque tampoco tiene algo asegurado, sí movió la rama y sacudió el ambiente.
Embrollo para nombrar al sustituto y embrollo también porque vendrá apelación. pic.twitter.com/483qFbneEU
Pachuca and Club Leon published an official club statement following the decision, stating that they are "dissatisfied with this decision" and will "defend what was earned on the field in a fair". The statement is as follows:
We have just been informed by FIFA that one of the two teams: Pachuca and León, participants in the 2025 Club World Cup, will be excluded from the competition. We are dissatisfied with this decision, and we will appeal it to the highest levels, including the highest sports tribunal, as all the evidence and documentation proving our administrative and sporting independence were presented in a timely and transparent manner.
In our case, we will defend what was earned on the field in a fair, professional manner, and in accordance with the competition rules.
Mikel Arriola. (Image Credit | Getty)
Mikel Arriola, the Mexico Football Federation president, has also assured that they will fight for "Liga MX to keep its three spots" in the upcoming tournament. He said:
Technically, we will push for that. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee is the one with the authority to define spots and quotas for each league, but we will certainly defend our three spots,
There is constant communication with Club León. Since this decision became known, I have been in contact with the Pachuca Group, but I believe we all need to be very cautious and wait for a process among all parties, in this case between a club and FIFA. We will remain attentive. It’s a legal process that will need to be supported by both the League and the Federation. There will be an appeal, and we will remain attentive and wait.
Víctor Montagliani (on the left) with FIFA president Infantino. (Image Credit | Getty)
Víctor Montagliani, the Concacaf president, has also shown his support for Club Leon regarding this incident. The Concacaf chief expressed his support via a statement during an interview with TUDN México.
I support León because they won the ConcaChampions on the field. We hope that at the end of this legal process, León will be allowed to play in the Club World Cup,
Club Leon has decided to appeal against FIFA at CAS with the backing of Concacaf, along with Liga MX, which already has Monterrey and Pachuca as participants in the Club World Cup.
Leon was drawn in Group D along with the English side Chelsea, Brazilian side Flamengo, and Tunisian side Esperance. However, the vacant berth left by Leon has been targeted by clubs such as Alajuelense, Club America, Tigres UNAL etc.
Alajuelense’s previous complaint and CAS appeal
Alajuelense at the Concacaf Central American Cup. (Image Credit | Getty)
Interestingly, Alajuelense’s complaint regarding the multi-ownership issue initiated the investigation by the FIFA Appeal Committee, leading to Club Leon’s exclusion.
🚨Comunicado oficial🚨Liga Deportiva Alajuelense presenta reclamo ante FIFA por el Mundial de Clubes 2025. https://t.co/yUTdLnWu4j
The Costa Rican side is the most well-positioned team at this moment to take the vacant spot left by Club Leon in the Club World Cup, as it currently holds the highest ranking in Concacaf, excluding clubs from MLS and Liga MX, which have already been assigned their entitled spots.
Alajuelense also won the Concacaf Central American Cup consecutively in 2023 and 2024, strengthening their argument to be awarded a spot in the Club World Cup.
Alajuelense quickly responded to comments made by Víctor Montagliani, the president of Concacaf, who publicly expressed support for Club Leon.
The Club condemned the comments by Montagliani in an official statement published in the Club's socials. The statement partly reads:
In these statements, Mr. Montagliani expressed his explicit support for Club León—an institution currently excluded by FIFA due to violations of integrity rules related to multi-ownership—and expressed his desire for the club to be reinstated in the tournament, disregarding the ongoing legal process before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS), initiated by our institution.
Both Liga Deportiva Alajuelense and Club León are part of CONCACAF. Therefore, the statements of the president of the Confederation constitute a serious transgression of the duty of neutrality, the principle of impartiality, and the institutional loyalty that should govern the actions of any international sports authority.
Alajuelense have stirred up an intentional controversy with some strong backings
José Carlos Loaiza Gallego. UNAFUT's executive director and former La Liga executive. (Image Credit | La Republica)
Alajuelense have put up argument that they must replace Club Leon immediately, but their case does not appear to be founded on the set rules or their acknowledgement. The club contends that if Leon is eliminated, they should be considered as the replacement from the Concacaf zone.
Their arguments are based on the rules that dictate that there must be only two teams from one nation. At present, the US has two qualified teams: Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami (the latter being a controversial choice). Two qualified teams from Mexico are Pachuca and Monterrey.
Alajuelense have claimed that they are the next highest-ranked team and, as such, should be part of the competition. But the ranking they are quoting is an unofficial club ranking published by the IFFHS, which is not recognized by Concacaf or by FIFA.
Even if it was accepted, the second-placed team would not automatically qualify; they will have had to earn that right through the relevant qualifying tournaments, as the rules state.
FIFA will have the final say on which team will play in case Club Leon lose its appeal with the CAS and remain excluded from competition. This ruling could also provide the choice of inserting a third team from either Mexico or the USA since there are several teams from both nations ranked higher than Alajuelense.
Looking at the parties to the Alajuelense case poses many questions about possible destabilizing agendas. Alajuelense's legal team has close ties with Spain's La Liga and its top leadership. There is also a cooperation between La Liga and Costa Rica's league authority, UNAFUT.
The alliance is serious, as witnessed by the recent appointment of former La Liga executive José Carlos Loaiza Gallego as UNAFUT's executive director. La Liga and its president, Javier Tebas, have repeatedly attacked FIFA and the role of the Club World Cup in the football calendar.
Since UNAFUT has adopted a dissenting position and is pursuing lawsuit outside Europe, there is no sign that they will desist from trying to create confusion around this topic.
Club Leon is not yet out of the Club World Cup. Grupo Pachuca has provisions on the books similar to those of UEFA competitions which permit two teams with the same ownership to be in the competition at the same time.
CAS can rule that these provisions are adequate to permit Club Leon to remain in the competition, alleviating any doubt about conflicts of interest and potential manipulation.
Trent Alexander-Arnold could be set to join Real Madrid with reports suggesting that the Liverpool defender has finally agreed to move. Alexander-Arnold has been Real Madrid's biggest transfer target over the past few years. After Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid, Los Blancos boss Florentino Perez's main target was Trent. However, over the past few years, Trent declined all the Los Blancos offers.
According to @marca, Trent Alexander-Arnold's move to Real Madrid is 99% complete 👀
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 21, 2025
According to reports from Caught Offside, Los Blancos has finally secured the signing of the English Full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. According to the reports, Trent will join Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer transfer window. Real Madrid has been working on this scene for over two years, and finally, Trent declined Liverpool's every offer and wants to join Real Madrid.
🚨 BREAKING: Alexander Arnold’s signing is at 90%, practically DONE. He has a foot and a half in Real Madrid. @diarioaspic.twitter.com/8qDKDms2UY
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been linked with a move to Real Madrid this January with Los Blancos keen on restricting a deal despite being able to join as a free agent in the summer. Moreover, Trent wants to stay at Liverpool this season and now he has struck a verbal agreement with Los Blancos' boss Carlo Ancelotti (according to Marca). But it remains unclear whether the agreement means the deal will go through this month.
Liverpool already rejected a bid from Real Madrid in this winter transfer window. Although Liverpool and Real Madrid's management have remained quiet about this deal, it is looking like Trent wants to finish this season as a Liverpool player before waving goodbye to the Reds.
Image Credit: Liverpool FC
Trent is a talented right-back and has been a key player for Liverpool in recent years his quality has caught the eyes of Real Madrid's management. European giants like Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona were also in this transfer saga competing with Real Madrid, but Trent himself chose the Los Blancos. Liverpool's manager Arne Slot tried everything to convince the player to stay, but it seems that the English full-back already made his decision to move to the Spanish capital, where he will join Carlo Ancelotti's managed side.
Bellingham started in Thomas Tuchel's first starting XI as England's boss. It was the 41st appearance of the 21-year-old. The English midfielder overtook Wayne Rooney for the most senior appearance for the England national football team at 21 or younger. The former Manchester United legend made 40 appearances.
41 - Jude Bellingham is making his 41st appearance for England, overtaking Wayne Rooney's record (40) for most games for the senior side while aged 21 or younger. Baton. pic.twitter.com/wBVzvIiFlL
Jude Bellingham made his senior debut for the National side being a 17-year-old in November 2020 on his debut England triumphed with a 3-0 victory over Ireland in a friendly match. He has since made 41 appearances and scored 6 goals and provided 10 assists.
Jude Bellingham continued his good form against Albania on Friday as well. He got the ball in midfield and went past a couple of players before putting a cross for the debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly and the debutant scored the goal and put his side a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute.
Harry Kane scored the second goal in the 77th minute and helped the Three Lions clinch a 2-0 victory over Albania. England is now at the top of the group k of 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The group also has Latvia, Serbia, and Andorra along with England and Albania.
While England beat Albania 2-0, Jude Bellingham spoke about things the Tuchel's managed side need to improve. Assessing his side's performance Jude said: (Via England Football)
I think we had clear ideas on what we wanted to do and how we wanted to play. We tried that as much as possible. I know it is difficult when you play against a team that sits so low and is so compact.
At times the game takes you a different direction. You want to go on the ball and move around but generally, we stuck to the plan really well. We had a really good week of training, and it was a good way to start the new era.
Uruguay vs Argentina FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Why is Lionel Messi not playing?
Lionel Messi has been excluded from the Argentina squad that will take on Uruguay and Brazil in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in March. In this article, we explain the reason.
Lionel Scaloni announced a 26-member squad on March 17th, excluding the World Cup-winning captain., sparking debates among the Albiceleste fans.
However, reports suggested that Messi might have sustained an injury during the Major League Soccer game for Inter Miami, making it impossible for him to attend the national fixture.
Sportz Point breaks down why Lionel Messi will not play against Uruguay and later against Brazil.
Why is Lionel Messi not playing?
(Image Credit | AFP)
The 37-year-old Argentine forward sustained a low-grade injury in the adductor muscle during Inter Miami's MLS encounter against Atalanta United on March 16th, Sunday.
🚨⚠️ Understand Leo Messi completed a scan in the morning after the game vs Atlanta United last night.
The scan confirmed that Messi suffered from a small muscle injury in the adductor area and he won’t be available to play for Argentina. pic.twitter.com/x7v6kAukyv
Although Lionel Messi opened the scoring and led Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory, it has been revealed that he has suffered an injury that might keep him out of international duties.
Inter Miami issued an official statement on March 18th, stating Messi's injury updates. The statement reads:
Inter Miami CF has provided an injury update presented by Baptist Health for captain Leo Messi.
Messi underwent an MRI this morning to assess the extent of the discomfort in his adductor region, which he experienced during last night’s match against Atlanta United.
The examination’s findings confirmed the presence of a low-grade injury in the adductor muscle. His clinical progress and response to treatment will determine his availability for competition.
The Argentina captain himself posted a story on Instagram which contains a photo of him in the national shirt, and he conveyed his disappointment in a short statement.
It's a shame to miss these two very special matches with the national team against Uruguay and Brazil. As always, I wanted to be there, but at the last minute, a minor injury forced me to take a break before playing again left me out. From here, I'll be cheering and supporting you like any other fan. Go Argentina!
These statements confirm that he's not expected to be sidelined for long but will miss the upcoming matches with Uruguay on March 22nd and Brazil on March 26th.
✍️ Lionel Messi makes his own statement on the injury via his Instagram account:
However, Messi will have to wait until before donning the national crest again. In the June international break, when Argentina will travel to play against Chile on June 4th and will take on Colombia on June 9th.
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