yah I can't agree with Messi winning the golden ball either, I know he is top 3 in the world, and his presence on the field demands multiple coverage but he didn't setup or score a goal in the quarters, semis or finals.
I don't know if I could isolate one guy for the ball but my choices would be between:
Rodriguez, Muller, Schweinsteiger, Robben and Neuer. Each for their own reasons.
Schwein took a beating in yesterdays game, but he was honestly all over the field. I can't remember what his final distance covered was but I'm guessing 13-14km at least?