Germany’s Oliver Kahn won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball in 2002. The award recognized him as the tournament’s best overall player at the World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. Kahn remains the only goalkeeper to have won the Golden Ball in FIFA World Cup history.
Kahn was Germany’s captain and starting goalkeeper during the tournament. Germany reached the final after defeating Paraguay, the United States, and South Korea in the knockout rounds. Kahn conceded only one goal before the final, helping an unfancied German side advance farther than many predictions expected.
The final against Brazil ended in a 2–0 defeat for Germany. Kahn played with a hand injury and was involved in Brazil’s opening goal after failing to hold Rivaldo’s shot, allowing Ronaldo to score the rebound. Even with that mistake, his performances across the tournament were exceptional. Kahn also received the tournament’s best-goalkeeper award, then known as the Lev Yashin Award, while Ronaldo won the Golden Boot as top scorer.