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Ronaldo wins second FIFA Ballon d’Or, future Thorns goalkeeper named Women’s World Player of the Year

CristianoRonaldoFIFABallonD'or2014 (AFP)

By DAN KARELL

As expected, there’s a new Ballon d’Or winner in town.

Snapping Lionel Messi’s four-year winning streak, an emotional Cristiano Ronaldo was named the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or winner on Monday afternoon at FIFA’s gala event in their headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. Ronaldo finished ahead of Messi and Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery, which is voted on by captains and head coaches of every FIFA national team.

Ronaldo finished second to Messi in each of the last two seasons. The Portuguese star won the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2008. Ronaldo scored 69 goals for club and country in the 2013 calendar year.

In the women’s category, German National Team goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was named Women’s World Player of the Year, becoming the first goalkeeper to win the award. She beat out Brazilian international Marta and U.S. Women’s National Team star Abby Wambach. Angerer stopped a penalty kick in each half of the 2013 UEFA European Championships to help Germany win its sixth consecutive title with a 1-0 victory against Norway.

Angerer is set to play for the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League next season.

Legendary Brazilian forward Pele was awarded with an honorary Ballon d’Or while German coaches Jupp Heynckes (Men’s Coach of the Year) and Silvia Neid (Women’s Coach of the Year) took home the hardware as well.

You can see who every national team coach, captain and journalist voted for in the Ballon d’Or here, and here is a full rundown of all the awards handed out during Monday’s ceremony:

FIFA Ballon d’Or: Cristiano Ronaldo

FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year: Nadine Angerer

FIFA Puskas Award: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

FIFA Coach of the Year: Jupp Heynckes

FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year: Silvia Neid

FIFA / FIFPro World XI:

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)

Defenders: Dani Alves (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)

Midfielders: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

FIFA Presidential Award: Jacques Rogge

FIFA Fair Play Award: Afghanistan Football Federation

Comments

  1. Simply amazing year by Ronaldo. No one deserves it more. The media may portray him in an unfavorable light but he has always outworked his opponents. He and Messi are the best of this generation. I hope they get to won a World Cup, but of course team U.S.A. first!! Hahah

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  2. Not a big issue for most, but how in heck does Wambach not win over the German goalkeeper when Wambach sets the record for career goals?

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    • She did well in the ever most relevant women’s UEFA championships. Oh and she doesnt discriminate on gender when deciding upon relationships.

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  3. Here’s a fun voting fact (it’s a fact assuming I can count correctly, anyway): the players gave 19 different players first place votes, the coaches split their first place votes among 20 different players, and the media members picked out just nine. Not sure what it means, but I think it means something.

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  4. I’m stunned (the impressed kind of stunned) by FIFA releasing the votes for the Ballon d’Or. For an organization so anti-transparency to publish this list is kind of impressive, especially in contrast to BBWAA cowards who hide beyond anonymity to take down great baseball players or Heisman Trust voters who have it out for college kids. I mean, I’m sure it makes a difference that it’s plebeian players and coaches who are putting their necks out rather than the Executive Committee, but still: respect.

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    • Ives, they have also done so in previous years, this is not new. In fact, you can find the PDF files online on other sites I’m sure, if you do the right search (or maybe find the right URL on fifa’s site). It’s highly amusing, for example Casillas voting for Ronaldo and leaving Messi off entirely, things on that level. I’ve seen it for at least the last few years, not sure when they started releasing it, but at least 11 and 12 are out there.

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  5. It’s good that he gets it. Messi is by far the best player in the world, and will be for years to come, but he shouldn’t get the award just for breathing. He’s had some injuries and, by his standards, hasn’t met the same levels this year. Ronaldo finally made his case the stronger; if he hadn’t gotten it this year, it would have been pretty ridiculous.

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