Tomáš Souček leads autumn stage of Czech football's Golden Ball Award

West Ham midfielder Tomáš Souček once again tops the autumn stage of the Golden Ball, leading the 29th edition of the journalist poll for the best Czech footballer of the season. The four-time Golden Ball winner is on track for his third consecutive victory, though his lead is slim this year. Unlike last autumn, when he held a 300-point lead, Souček is now just two points ahead of Slavia Prague’s Lukáš Provod.

The 29-year-old captain of the national team had a successful autumn, winning Group B1 of the Nations League and securing promotion to League A. Souček also performed well for West Ham, scoring four goals in 17 league appearances. With 31 Premier League goals, he ranks second among Czech players, behind Patrik Berger’s 38.