Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi finally secured his World Cup in 2022 at age 35, scoring 7 goals and making 3 assists to win both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball simultaneously—the first player to achieve this feat, outperforming #3 Ronaldo Nazário's 2002 dual award hopes. His quarterfinal performance against the Netherlands, with a goal and assist followed by a deliberate taunt, was one of the most electrifying individual displays in modern history, leading to a 3-3 penalty shootout victory. Over the tournament, he completed 28 successful dribbles, cheaper than the average elite midfielder's physical toll, and his leadership propelled Argentina to a 4-2 final shootout win over France.