Cristiano Ronaldo has won the FIFA World Player of the Year Award, which is appropriate, because Cristiano Ronaldo was the best player in the world over the past twelve months. Lionel Messi, who finished second, and Fernando Torres, who finished third, do more to warm my heart, but it was Ronaldo who occupied the perilous center of everybody’s lens and rifle sight last year, and that didn’t happen by chance.
Rather than repeating everything I wrote after his Ballon d’Or win last month, actually, I’ll just link to it. What’s happened since then is that he crashed his Ferrari into a tunnel, which didn’t suddenly grant him unambiguous significance. But there’s no other footballer who wouldn’t have been diminished by all the ridicule that followed (from me, too). With Ronaldo, all that mockery seems to one side of the truth. Even if you can’t put your finger on what the truth is, which was basically my argument after the Ballon d’Or, it’s not hard to spot the destiny that’s going to carry him through every attempt to tear him down—probably pouting, spiky, and with the collar of his polo shirt turned up, but intact at least until he gives in to his own frustration.
The results:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (935 points)
2. Lionel Messi (678)
3. Fernando Torres (203)
4. Kaka (183)
5. Xavi (155)
Read More: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United
by Brian Phillips · January 12, 2009
The Simplest Game Community
Surely the best player in the world over the first half of 2008 (and a part of me can’t help but admire him for it), but the rest of the year?
(It seems odd to me to have the major awards be out of sync with the football season, resulting in questions like the one above.)
Ronaldo is my favoriate football player. The guy is very luck last year, even a car crash can NOT do any harm to him.
Whatever, he is a talent football player. Congratulations!
Well deserved. He really was the best in 2008. All of the recent talk of Messi’s greatest is warranted but can only apply to 2009.
So who is the best so far for 2009?
~ Vote at bestplayerintheworld.com ~
Messi was the best player, IMO, from mid 07 until he got injured sometime in December. From then on till the end of the season CR was the best. CR was far from being the best at the Euros and was injured for the start of this season. Meanwhile, Messi was brilliant at the Games and has carried that form on into the European season. CR has won this award because he was good, yes, but mostly because he was also playing for the CL league winners.
I think there should be a more objective method of determining the ‘best player of the year’ than simply polling a group of journalists and managers at the end of the year.
The man can fall over an atom of air, can complain like a little girl if the referee does not give him a free kick or a penalty, and this is the best footballer in the world? Bring on women’s football, it is good to see football without the rampant cheating.
Shady, you a basehead. Ronaldo dives every now and again, but he’s hardly a rampant cheat. And about half the England team complain more obnoxiously than he does.
Surely C. Ronaldo was and is fit to be crown WORLD BEST 2009 while L. Messi follows with a patronage award of second world best.My advice is that Ronaldo should keep it up.More ”Cheers to you our star”.
ronaldo is the best and everyone knows that he can do anythink
Ronaldo is going to have to raise his game to stay ahead of Messi. The fans of the world are still on the side of the United star but all the talk in the media these days is about Messi and the brilliant form he’s in…
Here is why Messi is perhaps the best player in the world just now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T–9iL0MTCs
Christiano ronaldo is the best player in the world. Every one likes him unlike Messi who stinks of POO!
The C.Ron posts really do draw out the more urbane segment of our readership. I’ll give the guy that.
I mean, there are some people around here who couldn’t even spell “poo,” much less capitalize it.
Merde.
simply put, he is an excellent footballer.I admire him.for fifa’s officials’ comments on him visit,http://www.sportstea.bogspot.com
Messi is wort to be the next world footballer
C.Ronaldo??
Great player but didnt deserve the award,
yes, ppl believe tat since he didnt replay his 42 goal tally but he proved his worth. but messi is unreal, best player in the world…but Ronaldo won it, take my hat off to ya !!!!!
Dermo……
These awards highlight individuals who have been successful rather than individual quality.
PS. ScardanelliScarpe rules!!
Ronaldo did deserve the award in 2008 but 2009 is another matter. Messi is already in the lead with the fans of the world for 2009…
you all forget about c.ronaldo, messi , the best and will ever remain the best is ricardo aveiro kaka