As Leo Messi reluctantly collected the Golden Ball award at the final ceremony, Diego Maradona, who was watching the proceedings and the ceremony, spoke what was in his, mano others and probably even Messi's mind.
"I would give heaven and earth to Leo, but when marketing people want him to win something he didn't (deserve to) win, it is unfair," said Maradona, the winner of the Golden Ball when Argentina won the World Cup in 1986.
"I could see that he didn't want to go up and collect it (the award)."
"We raised our flag high, there's no doubt about that," he said.
"Germany won due to a misunderstanding in the defence but at no point were they better than us. They showed us a lot of respect, and our lads earned that out on the pitch."
Maradona went on to add that James Rodriguez was his choice for the golden ball.
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