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20 December 2005
ZURICH — For the second straight year, the Barcelona footballer Ronaldinho was named the best player in the world.
The International Soccer Federation, the sport’s governing body known as FIFA, awarded the Brazilian the sport’s top prize at a ceremony in Zurich.
He beat Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard and his Barcelona team mate, Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o.
With 956 points, to Lampard’s 306 and Eto’o’s 190, Ronaldinho once again was named the world’s top player, an honour he achieved last year by beating out Thierry Henry and Andrei Shevchenko.
The voting is conducted among 159 national soccer team coaches and captains around the world.
Five points were awarded for a first place nomination, three for second and one for third.
Over the past 12 months, Ronaldinho has seen his star rise in the soccer firmament, his prestige growing as a result of several individual and collective awards, especially when Barcelona’s won the Primera Liga title in Spain.
He is the third Brazilian to win both the world and European player awards in the same year.
Ronaldo did so in 1997 and 2002 and Rivaldo was awarded both prizes in 1999.
[Copyright EFE with Expatica]
Subject: Spanish news