Kaka, a Brazilian midfielder, was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2007, while Marta, another Brazilian, was named Women's Player of the Year. The winners were revealed on December 17, 2007, at the FIFA World Player Gala at the Zurich Opera House. Kaka is only the second player to win the award more than once (Luis Figo won it in 2000 and 2003).
Other candidates for the prize included Ronaldinho, who was nominated but did not win; Cristiano Ronaldo, who was also nominated but did not win; and Kaká's teammate Dida. None of the other players were even close to winning the award.
Kaka became the first player from Brazil or Portugal to win the award. He was joined on the podium by France's Patrick Vieira, who received the Fair Play Award. Kaka is the third Brazilian after Pelé and Maradona to win the award, and the first since 1994 when Roberto Baggio won it twice. He is also only the fourth player from Portugal/Portugal to win the award, following Luis Fernández, Rui Águas and Vieira.
Kaka was born in Italy but grew up in Brazil, so he is eligible to play for both countries. He has represented Brazil at all levels from youth to senior football, collecting 82 international caps between his country and retiring in 2015.
Cristiano Ronaldo also received the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 2007. The Football Writers' Association bestows the award, which is voted on by its members. Didier Drogba finished second this year, with Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes finishing third and fourth, respectively.
Ronaldo had a phenomenal season for club and country. He was instrumental in helping Portugal qualify for the UEFA Champions League by scoring the only goal of the final match of the group stage against France. He also scored several important goals for Madrid as they fought off competition from Manchester United and Chelsea to win the Spanish title.
In addition to his individual accomplishments, Ronaldo led Portugal to its first ever European Championship victory by becoming the first player to score in each of Portugal's matches at the tournament. He also won the Golden Boot as the top scorer with 12 goals.
After his success in Europe, Ronaldo returned to portugal to play for Los Angeles Galaxy. However, he struggled to adapt to American football and was released after just one season. In 2009, Ronaldo signed with Real Madrid where he has continued to be one of the world's most prolific scorers. As of 2013, he has over 150 goals worldwide.
Player of the Year
| Year | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Bruno Xavier | Brazil |
| Datiñha | Brazil | |
| 2019 | ||
| Jordan Santos | Portugal |
2010-11 Winners' Season Player Club Barcelona Lionel Messi 2011-12 Barcelona's Andres Iniesta 2012-13 Ribery, Franck Bayern München
Everyone has their own point of view. Some consider Lionel Messi to be the finest player in the world right now, while Cristiano Ronaldo continues to dazzle at the age of 33, and his honors make him a viable candidate.
After winning his fifth Ballon d'Or on Thursday, Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo declared himself the "greatest player in history." Ronaldo won the award for the second year in a row, tying the record set by Barcelona's Lionel Messi, and he stated that he does not feel any player is better than him.
Ronaldo is certainly one of the greatest players ever and has all the tools to become the best. He is tall (1.93 m), strong, fast, skilled with his head, and has excellent ball control. Although he may not have been the most disciplined player in the past, he has worked hard at being more responsible and has succeeded in changing his image from that of a troublemaker to that of a role model.
It is safe to say that Ronaldo is the best soccer player ever. He was born in 1977 in Lisbon, Portugal, and made his professional debut at the age of 18 for local club Sporting Clube de Portugal. That same year, he moved to Spanish club Manchester United for $20 million ($53 million in today's dollars).
After two successful seasons with Man United, where he helped the team win the UEFA Champions League in 2008, Ronaldo decided to move to Real Madrid for an estimated $80 million ($206 million in today's dollars). He has since been named the world's highest-paid athlete four times.
Tiger Woods was named the World's Highest Paid Athlete in 2007.
| Name | Sport | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiger Woods | golf |
| 2 | Oscar De La Hoya | boxing |
| 3 | Phil Mickelson | golf |
| 4 | Kimi Raikkonen | F1 racing |
Victor Valdes received the Zamora Trophy as the season's finest La Liga goalkeeper. On January 13, 2009, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics crowned Xavi the 2009 World's Best Playmaker, with colleagues Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta finishing second and fourth. With four trophies, Xavi matched Iker Casillas' record from 2006.
Valdes has been a mainstay in Barcelona's defense since his arrival from Bologna in 2003. He has never missed a game for the club and is among the most important players in their history. Valdes has won every major honor available to a goalkeeper in Spain, including the UEFA Champions League twice. He also helped his team win the Spanish Cup in 2004 and the Club World Cup in Japan in 2007.
Valdes was named the La Liga MVP after leading Barcelona to its third straight league title. He had three saves in the final match against Osasuna with the score at 1-1; however, Barca lost 2-1. Valdes finished with 44 appearances out of 45 games this season. He made 42 saves and had two assists.
Casillas owns most awards in the history of the league.
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