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

"Kaka is the new Cruyff" Pele said.

BRAZILIAN legend Pele reckons Kaka and Clarence Seedorf will rip Liverpool apart on Wednesday night.

But he still thinks Steven Gerrard can test Milan’s resolve before the Italian club comes out on top in Athens.

The world’s greatest-ever player — a triple World Cup winner — is convinced countryman Kaka will reign supreme.

He said: “Kaka isn’t the new Pele — he is the new Johan Cruyff.

“He keeps getting better and is so fast. He sees the goal early and when he sets off from midfield he is unique.

“Kaka has grown in a way I never expected. And when he is in form, like he is now, Milan are just devastating.

“Together with Ronaldinho, Kaka is the best player in the world at the moment and he will make the difference against Liverpool.

“But it is not just Kaka who will be too much for Liverpool. It is the way he works with Seedorf, too.

“The one quietly providing so much of the balance is Seedorf. He disguises a pass beautifully and gets many assists.

“These two together mean Milan will be champions of Europe.”

Even so, Pele predicts Rafa’s Benitez’s side will go down fighting.

He added: “It is going to be very different for Milan than it was against Manchester United.

“Liverpool don’t play spectacular, open attacking football. But they are strong physically, they close you down.

“Then they set off on the counter-attacks, carried along by Gerrard. It will take a steady nerve for Milan to cope with those.

“I can see a massive battle in midfield between Mascherano and Gattuso. But Milan are technically superior and have players who can make a difference.”

Pele, now 66, also claims United’s Cristiano Ronaldo is not world class yet.

He said: “He isn’t Garrincha, who was less quick but had better dribbling skills than Ronaldo.

“I would put Ronaldo on the second level of players, along with Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney.”