Gary Lineker: "The Golden Ball in 1986 should have gone to me, not Belanov"

Former England forward Gary Lineker has said he should have been the one to win Europe's best player Golden Ball award in 1986, which was famously awarded to Dynamo Kiev striker Igor Belanov.

"If there is one thing I regret, it is not winning the Golden Ball in 1986. It should have gone to me, not Belanov. I deserved it.

Belanov simply played a great match for the USSR against Belgium at the 1986 World Cup (3:4, Belanov scored all three goals against the Belgians - ed.), after which all the journalists of Eastern Europe gave their votes for him in the poll for the winner of the Golden Ball. That's the only reason why he won the prize.

But I know that now Belanov together with the "Golden Ball" comes to the front line and supports the spirit of Ukrainian soldiers. In this situation, I simply have no words! So now I am ready to say that Belanov deserved this award.

In general, if at that time players not from Europe could claim for the "Golden Ball", then in 1986 this prize would have gone to Diego Maradona. He was from another world. Then in football was one Maradona, and everyone else," - quotes Lineker L'Equipe.