Kaka wins Fifa world player crown

Clipped from : BBC Sport

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.

Kaka's latest award crowns a superb year in which he led AC Milan to Champions League victory, scoring 10 goals in the process.

In a poll of all national coaches and captains, Kaka polled 1,047 votes, Messi 504 and Ronaldo 426.

The 25-year-old was also named European player of the year earlier this month.

Kaka, a devout Christian, said he had never expected to reach such heights in the sport.

"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.

"But the Bible says God can give you more than you even ask for and that is what has happened in my life.

"I had always thought about winning this award, but there are always doubts until it is actually confirmed.

"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."

Clipped from : The offside .com

Ricky Kaka can’t open his front door for all the awards piling up on his doorstep. He already has the Ballon d’Or and is expected to pick up the FIFA World Player of the Year award next week. Today he picked up yet another award when he was voted Player of the Year by readers of World Soccer magazine. Kaka took 52.8% of the vote to beat Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (again.) That apparently makes him only the second player in the history of the award to get more than 50% of the votes (Platini did it back in 1984.)


If you’ve never read World Soccer then it comes highly recommended. It’s based in Britain but read globally, so according to World Soccer the votes came from 48 different countries. Interesting that a player who had such an indifferent Serie A season is being showered with so many awards, though as has been noted elsewhere, it was Kaka’s brilliant Champions League performances for AC Milan that caught everyone’s attention.

Complete results below:

WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR % of votes
1 Kaka (Milan & Brazil) 52.8
2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina) 17.6
3 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United & Portugal) 16.0
4 Didier Drogba (Chelsea & Ivory Coast) 4.4
5 Juan Roman Riquelme (Boca Juniors/Villarreal & Argentina) 1.2
6 Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal & Spain) 0.8
7 Francesco Totti (Roma) 0.7
8 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Internazionale & Sweden) 0.6
9 Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid & Holland) 0.5
10 Ronaldinho (Barcelona & Brazil) 0.4
Others 5.0

WORLD MANAGER OF THE YEAR
1 Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) 26.4
2 Juande Ramos (Sevilla/Tottenham) 25.6
3 Carlo Ancelotti (Milan) 14.8
4 Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) 8.4
5 Roberto Mancini (Internazionale) 6.5
6 Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) 5.2
7 Jorvan Vieira (Iraq) 4.2
8 Alex McLeish (Scotland) 3.1
9 Fabio Capello (Real Madrid) 1.2
10 Rafa Benitez (Liverpool) 0.5
Others 4.1

WORLD TEAM OF THE YEAR
1 Iraq 22.2
2 Milan 21.5
3 Sevilla 16.6
4 Manchester United 10.5
5 Boca Juniors 9.1
6 Brazil 6.8
7 Argentina 5.2
8 Real Madrid 1.1
9 Scotland 1.0
10 Barcelona 0.8
Others 5.2

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina) 33.6
2 Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal & Spain) 22.8
3 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United & Portugal) 14.8
4 Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid & Argentina) 10.4
5 Giovani dos Santos (Barcelona & Mexico) 6.3
6 Alexandre Pato (Internacional/Milan & Brazil) 4.2
7 Wayne Rooney (Manchester United & England) 2.1
8 Alan Hutton (Rangers & Scotland) 1.2
9 Robinho (Real Madrid & Brazil) 0.6
10 Anderson (Porto/Manchester United & Brazil) 0.4
Others 3.6

Clipped from : reuters .com

ZURICH (Reuters) - AC Milan playmaker Kaka added to his remarkable haul of trophies and titles on Monday when he was named FIFA World Player 2007.

The 25-year-old Brazilian international beat Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo in the annual poll of national team coaches and captains.

Kaka collected more points in the poll than the combined total of the other two nominees, world soccer's governing body FIFA said after the ceremony here. He won 1,047 votes while Argentine Messi collected 504 and Portuguese Ronaldo picked up 426.

"Tonight is really special for me," said Kaka, who helped Milan to their seventh European Cup title in May and was also inspirational in Sunday's 4-2 Club World Cup final victory over Argentina's Boca Juniors.

"When I was young I dreamed of playing for Sao Paulo and playing just one game for the national team. That was it...but the Bible says God gives us more than we ask for and that is what has happened in my life."

Kaka was a heavy favorite to win Monday's award after landing France Football magazine's prestigious Ballon d'Or and World Soccer magazine's World Player of the Year award.


Clipped from : msnbc.msn .com

ZURICH, Switzerland - Brazil midfielder Kaka completed a virtual sweep of annual awards Monday by winning FIFA's World Player of the Year.

The 25-year-old Milan playmaker received the most points in a vote by national team captains and managers.

For Kaka, it is the third accolade this year. He also won European soccer's Golden Ball and World Soccer magazine's player of the year award.

Clipped from : www.cbc .ca

AC Milan star Kaka collected yet another award Monday when he was named FIFA's world soccer player of the year.

The Brazilian playmaker received the honour at a special gala ceremony in Zurich held by FIFA, soccer's world governing body.

Coaches and captains of men's national teams around the world vote on the annual award from a list of three finalists. Kaka beat out Argentine winger Lionel Messi of Spanish club FC Barcelona, and Manchester United and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award.

"Tonight is a really special night for me," Kaka said after being handed the trophy.

Kaka, 25, succeeds Italy's World Cup-winning captain and defender Fabio Cannavaro as the FIFA world player of the year, and is the third AC Milan star to win the honour since it was first handed out in 1991, joining Dutch forward Marco Van Basten (1992) and George Weah of Liberia (1995).

Kaka is also the fifth Brazilian to win the FIFA award, following in the footsteps of Romario (1994), Ronaldo (1996, 1997, 2002), Rivaldo (1999) and Ronaldinho (2004, 2005)

Earlier this month, Kaka won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award — the Golden Ball — as the world soccer player of the year in a vote organized by France Football magazine.

Kaka was also named world player of the year by British magazine World Soccer, following a poll of fans in 48 countries.

Additional honours in 2007 have included UEFA's Club Footballer of the Year, Champions League Best Forward and Champions League Top Scorer awards and the FIFPro world player of the year title, voted on by Kaka's fellow professionals.

Kaka was the top scorer in last season's Champions League with 10 goals, including a two-goal performance on the road against Manchester United in the semifinals that was hailed by pundits as one of the best kakaof the competition.

He helped Milan to a 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the Champions League final last season, and on Sunday he scored one goal and set up two others in Milan's 4-2 win over Argentine club Boca Juniors at the FIFA Club World Cup final in Yokohama, Japan.

Kaka Win The Golden Ball

AC Milan midfielder Kaka won the Ballon d'Or award — the Golden Ball — on Sunday as the world soccer player of the year.

The Brazilian playmaker received 444 points from a panel of journalists and soccer officials in a vote organized by France Football magazine.

Portugal and Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo finished second with 277 points, while Argentina and FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was third with 255. Chelsea striker Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast was fourth with 108 points, and Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo of Italy finished fifth with 41.

Kaka, 25, succeeds Italy's World Cup-winning captain and defender Fabio Cannavaro as the Ballon d'Or winner, and is the first Brazilian to lift the prestigious trophy since Barcelona's Ronaldinho in 2005.

"It has been a special year for me; this award underlines that," said Kaka, who helped AC Milan win its seventh Champions League title, in May. "The only way to win an award like this is to belong to a team which fights.

"I have to thank the players, the coach."

Kaka was the top scorer in last season's Champions League with 10 goals, including a two-goal performance on the road against Manchester United in the semifinals that was hailed by pundits as one of the best of the competition.

Kaka joins an elite list of AC Milan players who have won the award: Andriy Shevchenko (2004), George Weah (1995), Marco Van Basten (1988, 1989 and 1992), Ruud Gullit (1987) and Gianni Rivera (1969).

Kaka is also a favourite to be named world player of the year by FIFA, soccer's world governing body, when the award is announced later this month.

After more than half a century, the Ballon d'Or underwent a major change this year.

In 1956, France Football came up with the idea of honouring Europe's player of the year by polling the top soccer journalists across the continent annually, and awarding the Ballon d'Or.

This year, France Football changed the qualifications, opening the award up to players from the rest of the world, regardless of nationality. This marks a new era in the history of the Ballon d'Or, as it effectively has become the world player of the year award.

Clipped from : www.cbc.ca

Kaka is the best in the world

Brazil coach Dunga believes Ronaldinho has to work much harder if he's to replace Kaka as the world's best player.

The 1994 World Cup-winning captain thinks that on current form no-one can touch AC Milan playmaker Kaka but claims Barcelona star Ronaldinho - the 2004 and 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year - could regain the tag of the world's finest.

Dunga told Catalunya Radio: "Ronaldinho has to train more. When he is fine physically, there is nobody who can stop him.

"Ronaldinho suffers from a lack of speed. He cannot escape rivals in 30 or 40 metres as he used to do.

"Nowadays, Kaka is the best in the world. Ronaldinho could be the best, as well as Robinho, but Kaka is the best now."


Clipped from : http://www.sportinglife.com

Kaka has nominated Cristiano Ronaldo as his choice for this season's Ballon d'Or winner

AC Milan ace Kaka has nominated Manchester United dazzler Cristiano Ronaldo as his choice for this season's Ballon d'Or winner.

The Brazilian is going head-to-head with the 22 year-old Portuguese for the European Player of the Year gong and said: "For sure, Cristiano Ronaldo deserves to win.

"The Portuguese has dragged his team almost single-handedly to win the Premiership crown.

"But then there is my great friend Maldini ... it's incredible that such a champion as Paolo has never won this trophy."

Clipped from : http://www.tribalfootball.com

Kaka in their view

"He's the best player in the world along with Ronaldinho, he's most similar to (Johan) Cruyff. He has speed, vision and when he takes off from midfield he's one of a kind,''
Football legend Pele.



"Ricardo absolutely deserves it. I recommend a vote for him to all the jurors – Kaka deserves the Ballon d’Or more than anyone else."
Milan Captain Paolo Maldini.



"Kaka? He's sensational, being compared to him makes me shiver,"
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo.



"I'm sure he'll win the Ballon d'Or this year. He's also an excellent guy on and off the pitch. He is a fantastic player,"
Real Madrid winger Robinho.



"What Kaka has done this year is worthy of the Golden Ball,”
Milan defender Kakha Kaladze.




"Kaka is a superstar. In Manchester, he demonstrated his class; I was a spectator in his two goals. The first was impossible to avoid and he made a great play for the second,"
United defender Gabriel Heinze commented after the Champions League semi-final first-leg.



"Kaka is the best in the world at the moment and he will be a real danger to us in the final,"
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano before the Athens final.


Clipped from : http://sports.filbalad.com

Kaka is the player who gives his all for his team

Dubai: Brazilian football legend Zico knows what it takes to be a world class player. He's got plenty of best Brazilian, South American and World Footballer of the Year awards to show for it.

So when he spoke on the first day of the Dubai International Sports Conference 2007 yesterday, he had the audience hanging on to every word.

Asked who of the current crop of international footballers has caught his eye, Zico pointed to AC Milan and Brazil midfielder Kaka and Manchester United and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.

"I am a big fan of Kaka. He is a player who gives his all for his team and that is the most important thing and the other player I like is Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal - he can become an even better player."

Anatomy of Kaka

Milanese Magician: Anatomy of Kaka, the Brazilian who can rule Athens if the Gods smile on him

Brain

Kaka, 25, the product of a middle-class upbringing and education, is a thinker about the game, impress-ing older colleagues with his tactical sense.

Physique

Slight as a teenager, Kaka has worked hard to put on weight and muscle, and now rides tackles much more comfortably.

Spine

After cracking his spine in a swimming pool seven years ago Kaka made sure of a full recovery, using the time to plan every step of his future career.

Legs

Whether playing as an attacking midfielder or just behind the main striker, Kaka is quick enough to accelerate through the opposing back-four.

Right foot

Although he is no slouch with his left foot, it is Kaka's right that tends to produce his most penetrating passes and thrilling finishes.



"I think he's the best player in the world," Carragher admits. "You remember his performance in the first half in Istanbul and after that we all felt he was definitely the man, with Ronaldinho, and this season he's probably gone on to eclipse him. We'll sort out tactics when we get there, whether it's a midfielder's job or a defender's [to mark him]." They will need to, and Javier Mascherano is the most obvious choice for the job, rather than risking Carragher being pulled out of position and leaving the inexperienced Daniel Agger one on one with Inzaghi.


Clipped from : http://sport.independent.co.uk