DHAKA: Lionel Messi earned the 2014 World Cup Golden Ball as FIFA named the Argentinian star the tournament's top player.

Although he was held scoreless in the knockout rounds, he scored four group stage goals and guided his team all the way to the World Cup finals, where it ultimately lost 1-0 to Germany on Sunday.

Still, no player had the same type of impact as Messi. No, he didn't have an excellent game in the semifinals against the Dutch, but that's because he was being man-marked by two or three Dutch midfielders at a time.

His dangerous forays into the box were always exciting and his touch, througout the tournament, was sublime. We can't ignore the perfect assist he had in the final minutes against Switzerland, either. With all the attention on Messi, he coolly slid a pass to Angel di Maria who found the back of the net.

Finally, Messi realized the form he typically shows for his club and was able to demonstrate it on an international stage. Entering the tournament, the debate was between Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar for the world's best player.
Messi seized his chance and took his team further than it had been since 1990, which is more than either of the other contenders could say.

Several other players enjoyed elite form during the tournament—Arjen Robben, Neymar, James Rodriguez and Thomas Mueller among them. But none carried the same burden as Messi and he still managed to produce, which swayed the voters in his direction.

One other thing the World Cup did was reestablish Messi as the best player in the world. It's an unofficial title that he held for awhile before Cristiano Ronaldo challenged, and in some minds took it over the past 18 months.

Now, as he prepares to return to Barcelona, the club must pay close attention to his energy level. The World Cup always presents an extra hurdle because some players aren't able to get any rest. He certainly falls into that category.

The outlook is bright for Barca with the presence of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez up front. But between Messi's endless duties, Neymar's injuries and Suarez's ban, there will be question marks early in the campaign.

Those are concerns for another day, though. For now, Messi should celebrate winning the coveted Golden Ball award

Source: cbssports.com, bleacherreport.com

BDST: 0515 HRS, JUL 14, 2014