FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Monday that it was "incorrect" to have given Lionel Messi the Golden Ball as best player in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Messi led Argentina to the final against Germany with four goals in the tournament, though none came beyond the group stages.
Blatter admitted his "surprise" at the time that Messi was awarded the honour after the Albiceleste were defeated by Joachim Lowe's side, and now admits the Barcelona star was fortunate to be picked as the tournament's standout player.
"I think the decision was incorrect. I was surprised when I received the committee's decision. They told me they had only looked at 10 of the players who took part in the final," AS.com reports Blatter as telling local press on his visit to Moscow for the presentation of the logo for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The Swiss football administrator has said on a number of occasions that for him the German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was the deserved winner of the Golden Ball.
Neuer was awarded the FIFA Golden Glove trophy for his performances this summer as Die Nationalmannschaft won the fourth World Cup in their history.