Kaka wins Fifa world player crown</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <font size="2">AC Milan and Brazil star Kaka has been named Fifa's world player of the year, beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the honour in Zurich. </font></p> <font size="2">Kaka's latest award crowns a superb year in which he led AC Milan to Champions League victory this season, scoring 10 goals in the process. </font></p> <font size="2">In a poll of all national coaches and captains, Kaka polled 1,047 votes, Messi 504 and Ronaldo 426. </font></p> <font size="2">The 25-year-old was named European player of the year earlier this month. </font></p> <font size="2">Kaka, a devout Christian, said he had never expected to reach such heights in the sport. </font></p> <font size="2">"It's really special for me - it was a dream for me just to play for Sao Paulo and one game for Brazil," he said. </font></p> <font size="2">"But the Bible says God can give you more than you even ask for and that is what has happened in my life. </font></p> <font size="2">"I had always thought about winning this award, but there are always doubts until it is actually confirmed. </font></p> <font size="2">"It is not just this award but the whole year that has been very nice. Winning the Champions League and everything that has happened, it's just been wonderful." </font></p> <font size="2">Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba was fourth in the voting with 209, while 2004 and 2005 winner Ronaldinho came fifth. </font></p> <font size="2">Kaka, who has won 42 caps for Brazil, scored one goal and set up two others at the Club World Cup final in Japan on Sunday to hand AC Milan a record fourth title. </font></p> <font size="2">He follows in some illustrious footsteps, with Marco van Basten, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and George Weah among previous winners of the award. </font></p> <font size="2">Meanwhile, the legendary Pele - one of Kaka's predecessors in Brazil's famous yellow shirts - was given the Fifa presidential award for his lifetime contribution to football. </font></p> <font size="2">"My father told me it was a gift from God to play football," said a tearful Pele. </font></p> <font size="2">The three-time World Cup-winner went on to praise Kaka as a worthy winner of the award. </font></p> <font size="2">"Ronaldo and Messi have played some great football this year but they are not yet the most prominent players in their national teams," he said. </font></p> <font size="2">"Kaka has been playing at this level for Brazil for four years now, he helps out in midfield and he is also a great example off the pitch. He's the complete player." </font></p> <font size="2">In the women's player of the year award, Brazil's Marta won for the second year running, beating Germany's World Cup-winning captain Birgit Prinz and her fellow Brazilian Cristiane. </font></p> <font size="2">"I'm very happy to be here once more, and you can be sure I am going to give my best to be here on other occasions," she said. </font></p> <font size="2">Barcelona's gesture of displaying the name of children's fund Unicef on their shirts was recognised with the Fair Play Award. </font></p> </div></p>
<font size="2"> <div class="sihf">PREVIOUS WINNERS</div> <div class="mva">1991: Lothar Matthaeus (Ger) 1992: Marco Van Basten (Hol) 1993: Roberto Baggio (Ita) 1994: Romario (Bra) 1995: George Weah (Lib) 1996: Ronaldo (Bra) 1997: Ronaldo (Bra) 1998: Zinedine Zidane (Fra) 1999: Rivaldo (Bra) 2000: Zinedine Zidane (Fra) 2001: Luis Figo (Por) 2002: Ronaldo (Bra) 2003: Zinedine Zidane (Fra) 2004: Ronaldinho (Bra) 2005: Ronaldinho (Bra) 2006: Fabio Cannavaro (Ita)</div> </font></p>
Why didfabio cannavaro win it in 2006?...was football that bad?...lol, italians paid-off the fifa members</p>
Exactly what I was thinking Art. A lot of people don't even know who he is. Unless they watched the world cup and the final. But other than that, I don't know how he won it that year.</p>
'04 Henry should have won it.</p> Back to the subject Kaka was the deserved winner. Won them the Champions league and pulled them through a tough patch. Starting the season on -18 can't do a team any good but they still finished in a respectable place.</p>
Maybe but generally the awars get dished out after at least 2 seasons of good work. And Drogba play Abismal the season before last.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Do you guys think Drogba deserved anything? (terry seems to think so)</p> </div></p> Best diver of the year award!</p>
