FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 : AND THE AWARD GOES TO...

Spain created history at the Soccer City, Johannesburg after they beat the Netherlands 1-0 to clinch their first ever World Cup.

In doing so, they became the first team ever to lift the World Cup after losing their first match in the World Cup. They also became the first European team to lift the World Cup outside of Europe.

They dominated the possession in every match they played. Their control over the ball was second to none and their passing and movement was smooth, silky and very easy on the eyes. Spain deservedly walk away with the biggest prize in football.

Let's see which players and teams got the other individual awards in this World Cup.

The Golden Ball

Golden Ball is the award for the best player of the tournament.

The nominees are Diego Forlan, Asamoah Gyan, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Mesut Oezil Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Wesley Sneijder, David Villa, and Xavi

And the awards goes to: DIEGO FORLAN!

I never thought FIFA would do something this sensible but they have done it and Diego Forlan deserves it.

Nobody would have thought Uruguay would make it to the Semi-Finals but Diego Forlan saw to it that they did. He was the engine of the Uruguayan side. He was force which pulled Uruguay into the semi-finals.

He scored five goals in the seven matches he played. He had 15 shots on target. And though he not their captain but he was Uruguay's leader. He scored from a free-kick against Ghana when his team needed the goal. He scored a brilliant goal from a volley against Germany and he was always there when his team needed him.

He also had a great season at Athletico Madrid in which he scored 30 goals and won them the Europa League.

CONSOLATION PRIZE

David Villa - Silver Ball
Wesley Sneijder - Bronze Ball

The Golden Boot

The Golden Boot is awarded to the top goalscorer of the FIFA World Cup.

With Diego Forlan, Wesley Sneijder, David Villa, and Thomas Mueller all tied at 5 goals each, FIFA decided to award it to the player with the most number of assists.

And the Award goes to: Thomas Mueller!

Thomas Mueller had a phenomenal World Cup, scoring five goals in six matched and topping it with three assists. He has been one of the stars of the tournament. He was the heart of the German mid-field and played his part in almost all of their goals.

His performance against England and Argentina was the highlight of his tournament. He also put on a man of the match performance against Uruguay to make sure Germany finished third in this World Cup.

The Golden Glove (The Yashin Award)

The Yashin Award, named in honour of the late goalkeeper Lev Yashin of the USSR, is awarded to the best goalkeeper of the tournament. This year FIFA changed its name to The Golden Glove.

And the Award goes to: IKER CASILLAS!

Casillas didn't have a great start to the tournament. He looked a little edgy and wasn't comfortable with the Jabulani ball. He made some spills and had some scary moments.

As the tournament progressed his performance improved. He made a number of crucial saves, including a penalty against Paraguay. His performance against Germany in the Semi-Final was exceptional.

In the Final, he was brilliant. He made some unbelievable saves in one-on-one situations against Robben and kept Spain in the match. He was also the captain of Spain and leaded them from the back (no pun intended).

Casillas wasn't at his best in the World Cup, but still he deserves the Golden Glove. That speaks volumes about his goalkeeping abilities. He is the best there is.

Best Young Player Award

The award is given to the best player in the tournament who is at most 21-years-old.

The nominees are Giovani Dos Santos, Thomas Mueller, and Andre Ayew.

And the Award goes to: Thomas Mueller.

No surprises here.

He has played only two matches for Germany before he came to South Africa. But from the moment he entered the pitch against Australia and played a major part in the the 4-0 demolition of the Aussies, you could see he belonged there.

He wasn't overwhelmed or over-awed by the stage he was on but played fearlessly and scored and created goals along the way.

Germany missed him very much in their 0-1 defeat to Spain in the semi-finals.

FIFA Fair Play Trophy

The FIFA Fair Play Trophy is given to the team with the best record of fair play during the World Cup final tournament. Only teams that qualified for the second round are considered. The winners of this award earn the FIFA Fair Play Trophy, a diploma, a fair play medal for each player and official, and $50,000 worth of football equipment to be used for youth development.

And the Award goes to: SPAIN!

In a world cup where 17 red cards and 260 yellow cards were shown, Spain were only shown eight yellow cards, five of which were shown in the final.

Spain play football, the way it should be played. The rarely show the ugly side of it. They keep it clean and they keep it beautiful.

Most Entertaining Team Award

The FIFA Award for the Most Entertaining Team is a subjectively awarded prize for the team which has done the most to entertain the public with a positive approach to the game.

This year, FIFA decided not to present this award, so I decided that I would give it out instead.

And the Award goes to: GERMANY!

Germany came to this World Cup with the second youngest side of the tournament. The expectations back home wasn't much. When Ballack got injured, the expectations got even low.

But he young guns of Germany showed the world, never to underestimate Germany. They started out their campaign with a 4-0 rampaging of Australia.
And played aggressive attacking football throughout the tournament.

They were wonderful to watch. Their counter attacks against Argentina and England were astounding and breathtaking. Players like Oezil and Mueller brought a new dimension to their game with their creativity.

They scored 15 goals in the seven matches they played and finished in third place. They were just wonderful to watch.

Goal of the Tournament

This is one award which will have many winners. Everybody has different opinions about the goal of the tournament. Some like long range efforts, some like team goals, and some would prefer an individual's skill. This award rarely is an unanimous one. So I give this award upon my own discretion.

And the award goes to: YASUHITO ENDO! For his brilliant free-kick against Denmark.

The quality of free-kicks was very poor in this World Cup. Nobody could control the trajectory of the Jabulani ball. Players shot it way over the bar or way of the mark.

Yasuhito Endo's goal from the most perfect free-kick stood out from every other goal for me. There were other free-kick goals but in each of them the goal keeper could have done better.

But no goalkeeper in the world could have saved Endo's free-kick. It was the most perfect free-kick of the tournament. A free-kick that would have done Beckham proud.

The Best Actor Award

The best actor award is the highest prize any footballer who dives can aim for. In this world cup a lot of players displayed their acting prowess more than their footballing talent. They dived, they made exaggerated falls, and they went to the ground screaming in agony even from the slightest of nudges.

And the nominees are: Daniele De Rossi, Juan Capdevila, Abdul Kader Keita, Cristiano Ronaldo and Arjen Robben.

And the Award goes to: Cristiano Ronaldo!

Well Ronaldo definitely deserves it. He dives consistently in all of the four games Portugal played.

But the highlight was the dive in the match against Ivory Coast. He dived and got a free-kick right under the nose of the linesman. Such is the acting prowess of this superstar.

It's a real shame that such an talent individual, a World player of the year has to resort to such blatant acts of cheating to win a free-kick. It's shameful and its a disgrace.

Cristiano Ronaldo should give try outs for the Portuguese diving team.