FIFA President Sepp Blatter has insisted that he had no say in Lionel Messi being awarded the Golden Ball.
The Argentina forward was considered a surprise choice for the player of the tournament accolade and Blatter admits he too didn’t expect Messi to be selected.
“Shall I be diplomatic or tell you the truth?’’ stated Blatter, as reported by Football Italia. “Listen, I was myself a little bit surprised when I saw Messi coming up for the Golden Ball.
“But look at the goals scored by Messi in the different matches. They were decisive.”