Committee who shortlist WC Golden Ball......

The FIFA Technical Study GroupHeaded by Jean-Paul Brigger, the FIFA Technical Study Group assesses the football played in each of the 64 matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.
Its members are Gerard Houllier (France), Raul Arias (Mexico), Gabriel Calderon (Argentina), Ricki Herbert (New Zealand), Abdel M. Hussein (Sudan), Ka Ming Kwok (Hong Kong), Ioan Lupescu (Romania), Gines Melendez Sotos (Spain), Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Japan), Sunday Oliseh (Nigeria), Mixu Paatelainen (Finland), Jaime Rodriguez (El Salvador) and Theodore Whitmore (Jamaica).
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2014/m=7/news=...

Quite diverse and not really many people from big hitting nations i.e. England, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Holland...

Kinda wonder how good that committee is.. I mean if these guys are quite good at their jobs, theoretically they would have decent gigs?

Once you get on the FIFA gravey train youre on it for life.

There are 3 people on that list from countries that have never qualified for the World Cup. Two of those have probably never even come close.

Not a very elite list at all.

Former Hibs manager Mixu Paatelainen on the list I see!

Theodore Whitmore was Jamaican national coach until July 2013 (including against NZ in 2012) and Jamaica plays far more football than the All Whites - just in two weeks before the World Cup alone they played Serbia, Switzerland, Egypt and France. Jamaica have played 32 games since they beat the AW's in Auckland in Feb. 2012 including tough World Cup qualifiers in CONCACAF and friendlies against  major countries.

Whitmore is vastly experienced as a player at Hull City, Livingston, Tranmere and for the Reggae Boyz at the 1998 World Cup Finals (105 international caps) and coach of Jamaica 2007 -2013. 

http://int.soccerway.com/teams/jamaica/jamaica/131...

Hong Kong are certainly a minnow who don't play as much.

Your accent and/or nationality not always a good indicator of football knowledge.  We should have learnt that in NZ by now.

Even Messi looked surprised. Oh well :(

I think Maradonna summed it up quite well really. A lot to do with Adidas being one of the major sponsors and also sponors of the winner etc.

A good run-down on the backgrounds of all concerned:

http://sugarsport.me/2014/07/15/sunday-oliseh-part...

I think only the Hong Kong, Mexican and El Salvador reps could be said to be lacking a lot of international experience.

All the others had prominent playing and / or coaching careers. For example Spain's Sotos was their youth coach in their golden period over the last 12 years. Calderon, Lupescu, Houllier, Miyamoto, Oliseh, Paatelainen, Whitmore all prominent names. Paatelainen current Finland manager and former EPL player. Whitmore a member of the famous 1998 World Cup Reggae Boyz and Hull City player plus four years Jamaica manager (still only 41). Oliseh one of Nigeria's greatest players. Hussein one of  the greatest players in Egyptian football history and a prominent coach at Al Ahly.

HK rep restricted to playing in HK and coaching there (not much high-level competition).

Mexican rep not a super-star in Mexico and just two caps; undistinguished coaching career.

El Salvador rep played for ES in the 1982 World Cup but minor coaching experience.

HK hardly a football country/Special Administrative Region.

Wildeastfootball reports that HKFA want to enter a team into the Chinese FA Cup as a tester to see if it could also be part of the league system in China.

You will probably find that most (if not all) have a Pro Licence or equivalent. I would think the minimum requirement for being on the panel.

if my memory is correct didn't herbet also vote for Messi for player of the year?

It might have been embarrassing if they had voted for a player whose sponsors were not Addidas.