Fabio Cannavaro: Winner of the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year Award.

It's what everyone expected and there were no surprises as Joseph Blatter announced the name of Fabio Cannavaro as the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year. The moved Italian centre back thanked the national team coaches and captains by saying, "I would like to express my gratitude to FIFA, the coaches, the captains, and all my teammates that I have ever had."

On Monday at 8 pm CET, the Zurich Opera House hosted the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year gala, which culminated with the announcement of the World Player of the Year selected by national team coaches and captains. The magical evening dubbed "Football meets Mozart" was hosted by Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit and television presenter Amanda McLane-Attali, and was punctuated with snippets from Mozart's operas and video clips of the exploits of each nominee.

The first trophies and awards presented were those won during the 2006 German World Cup. To kick things off, the Fair Play Trophy was presented to the Spanish and Brazilian national teams, who shared the same number of points. It was followed by the Golden (Klose), Silver (Hernán Crespo) and Bronze (Ronaldo) Boot awards, and then the Golden Ball (Zidane), Silver Ball (Cannavaro), and Bronze Ball (Pirlo). Italy's Buffon was honoured as the Best Goalkeeper but was unable to attend the event.

The icing on the cake
After delighting those in attendence with a new Mozart piece, the two most magical moments of the night arrived. First came the announcement of the 2006 FIFA Woman World Player, bestowed upon the Brazilian, Marta, who received a warm round of applause from fellow countryman Ronaldo. Minutes later it was Fabio Cannavaro, Ronaldinho and Zidane's turn to find out who would be named FIFA World Player 2006. Edgar Davids, Frank Beckenbauer, and Lothar Mattaüs assisted Joseph Blatter with the announcement. What everyone had predicted since Sunday was true, as the FIFA President read the Italian player's name as the big winner of the night.

“It's a huge honour to be here among so many renown players. This has been a very important year for me and I am very happy and touched. It was an incredible year. I won the championship with Juve, the World Cup, the Golden Ball, and this great distinction brings a golden year to a close. I would like to express my gratitude to FIFA, the coaches, the captains, and all my teammates that I have ever had. I dedicate this award to Italian football, as everyone knows about the problems it has gone through. This should be a symbol of rebirth for an important system of international football,” stated Cannavaro.

Club support
President Ramón Calderón and Real Madrid's Sporting Director Pedja Mijatovic accompanied Cannavaro, Raúl and Ronaldo on their travels to Zurich to attend the gala celebrated at the Opera House. As was the case during the presentation of the Golden Ball last month, the Madridista President wanted Cannavaro to feel support from Real Madrid during such an important moment of his football career.

The President shared the evening with his Barcelona counterpart, Joan Laporta, who saw his hopes for Ronaldinho winning the trophy for the third straight year dashed.

FIFA WORLD PLAYER 2006 RANKING:
1. Fabio Cannavaro, (Juventus / Real Madrid), 480 points.
2. Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), 454 points.
3. Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona), 380 points.

FABIO CANNAVARO'S TRACK RECORD:

European U-21 Champion in 1994 (Italy).

European U-21 Champion in 1995 (Italy).

1 UEFA Cup (Parma, 1999).

2 Italian Cups (Parma, 1999 and 2002).

1 Italian Scudetto (Juventus, 2005).

1 FIFA World Cup (Italy, 2006).

1 Golden Ball (2006).

FIFA WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR 1991-2006
YEAR	1st	2nd	3rd
2006	CANNAVARO	Zidane	Ronaldinho
2005	Ronaldinho	Frank Lampard	Samuel Eto'o
2004	Ronaldinho	Thierry Henry	Shevchenko
2003	Zinedine Zidane	Thierry Henry	Ronaldo
2002	Ronaldo	Oliver Kahn	Zinedine Zidane
2001	Luis Figo	David Beckham	Raúl
2000	Zinedine Zidane	Luis Figo	Rivaldo
1999	Rivaldo	David Beckham	Gabriel Batistuta
1998	Zinedine Zidane	Ronaldo	Davor Suker
1997	Ronaldo	Roberto Carlos	Bergkamp/Zidane
1996	Ronaldo	George Weah	Alan Shearer
1995	George Weah	Paolo Maldini	Jürgen Klinsmann
1994	Romario	Hristo Stoitchkov	Roberto Baggio
1993	Roberto Baggio	Romario	Dennis Bergkamp
1992	Marco Van Basten	Hristo Stoitchkov	Thomas Hässler
1991	Lothar Matthäus	Jean-Pierre Papin	Gary Lineker

Ronaldo receives Bronze Boot as third top scorer; Raúl accepts Fair Play Trophy for Spain.

Awards galore. Three Madridistas made their way on stage at the Zurich Opera House on Monday night to accept various prizes. One of them, Fabio Cannavaro, was honoured twice. Not only was the Italian centre back named 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, but he also won the Silver Ball as the second best player of the German World Cup, played between 9 June and 9 July. Meanwhile, Ronaldo was presented with the Bronze Boot and Raúl accepted FIFA's Fair Play Trophy on behalf of the Spanish national team.

Bronze Boot for a one of a kind forward
Germany's Miroslav Klose, who score five World Cup goals, received the Golden Boot as the competition's top scorer, while Hernán Crespo and Ronaldo, who each had three goals, took home the Silver Boot and Bronze Boot, respectively. The Bronze Boot is presented to the third top scorer of the FIFA World Cup according to the following criteria: the number of goals scored, then, the number of passes resulting in goals, and third, minutes played.

After the World Cup had ended, several players had tallied three goals on their score sheets, among whom were Ronaldo and Spain's Fernando Torres and David Villa. That is when FIFA proceeded to count goal assists, but because Crespo and Ronaldo were also level in that category, FIFA then moved on to the number of minutes on the pitch each player had seen. Hernán Crespo scored three goals and one assist in 305 minutes, while Ronaldo had three goals and one assist in 409 minutes.

Brazil's '9' arrived in Germany amid controversy about his technique and fitness. Although Ronaldo and Brazil were unable to get get passed the quarterfinals, the Madridista forward scored three goals in five matches, making him the top Brazilian scorer in the competition and the Bronze Boot presented by Adidas winner.

Ronaldo played in five matches during the final phase of the German World Cup, for a total of 409 minutes. The striker also served up one assist (to Adriano against Australia) and had a total of 15 shots on goal, eight of which were in between the woodwork.

His best match came against Japan, which earned him the Budweiser Man of the Match honour. When it was made official that Ronaldo had won the Bronze Boot, Roy Hodgson, member of FIFA's Technical Study Group, stated, “Ronaldo received this award thanks to two excellent goals he scored, especially the first, which came at a key moment of the match. Moreover, his performance throughout the match was also decisive in this process.”

We cannot forget that in Germany Ronaldo became the all-time top scorer in the history of the World Cup after finding the back of the net against Ghana. His 15th goal was one more than Germany's Gerd Müller. With four goals in the French World Cup and eight in the Japan & Korea, Ronaldo moved ahead of Jurgen Klismann (11), Sándor Kocsis (11) and Just Fontaine (13).

Fair Play Trophy handed to Raúl
Real Madrid's number ‘7’ also shared the spotlight at the FIFA World Player 2006 gala. The Madridista forward flew to Zurich as the captain the Spanish national team, and there he joined coach Luis Aragonés to receive the Fair Play Trophy, which Spain shared with Brazil, being that both sides shared the same number of points in the World Cup's Fair Play ranking. Representing Brazil, who take home the piece of hardware for the third time, were Ricardo Teixeira and Ronaldo. FIFA's Technical Study Group (TSG) awarded each team a total of 886 of the 1,000 possible points.

The award is presented to the team that shows the best behaviour on and off the pitch according to a points system and criteria established by the FIFA Committee for Ethics and Fair Play. Every match is evaluated, but only teams that move on to the Round of 16 are considered candidates for the award, which consists of the Fair Play Trophy, medals for the players and coaching staff, a diploma, and 50,000 dollars worth of football equipment to be used for youth development.

The evaluation is carried out according to six criteria which place an emphasis on the positive rather than the negative aspects of a team’s performance. The number of cards a team receives is the only way that points can be deducted. The other criteria taken into consideration are: positive play, with points awarded for an attractive, offensive-minded playing style; respect for opponents; respect for the officials; behaviour of the coaching staff and the behaviour of supporters.

Zidane in frame for FifPro award.

Former France captain and Real Madrid player Zinedine Zidane is in the running for the 2006 FifPro Player of the Year award.

The former Real Madrid star bowed out of football in shame with a red card in the World Cup final for a headbutt on Italy defender Marco Materazzi.

Materazzi is also on the list of 55 nominations, along with last year's winner, Brazilian Ronaldinho.

The Premiership has 18 players in the frame for the award which will be announced on 6 November in Athens.

Chelsea are the best represented club in the list with nine players, including recent recruits Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko.

In terms of nationalities, world champions Italy have 10 nominated players along with Brazil, while England number six internationals.

Cole and his Blues team-mates John Terry and Frank Lampard are joined on the list by Manchester United duo Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney - who took last year's young player award - and Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard.

As well as the individual award, ballot forms were sent to 43,000 players asking them to pick a world XI for the event, which has been organised by the international players' union.

Except him more Real Madrid player is also in the shortlist. They are-

Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Roberto Carlos (Brazil), Cicinho (Brazil), Ronaldo (Brazil).

Some former Real Madrid player is also among the list. they are-

Luis Figo (Portugal), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Claude Makalele (France).

EA Sports FIFA 07 Is Released.

The eagerly anticipated FIFA 2007 has been released.

With the 2006 FIFA World CupT over and the glamour of international football fading fast, the players are now back to their daily jobs of winning glory for their club in EA SPORTST FIFA 07.

From the first whistle, FIFA 07 throws you into the rollercoaster ride of a football season and the intense stadium atmosphere of every home and away match.

Relish every satisfying victory over bitter rivals and live through every gut-wrenching poor performance at home. Savour the spine-tingling stadium atmosphere, home and away, as your team battles their way up the league table. Listen as your supporters chant your players' names and bellow all the rousing club songs through rain and shine.

You have the power to shape your club's destiny in the EA SPORTST Interactive Leagues [F.A. Premier League, Bundesliga, French League, Mexican 1st Division], a new online mode that enables you to pit your club against supporters of your real-world opponents. Play your games according to the real-world schedule. When they play, you play. Track your team's progress as the aggregate results determine your club's position in the league table. Now you actually take to the pitch for the glory of your club.

New intelligent AI ensures that your 11 men on the pitch make realistic decisions, finding space and passing like professionals. A complete overhaul of the game engine now means that you have to employ real world tactics, make realistic decisions and think like a player in order to win matches.

Take on the updated and improved challenge of the Manager Mode. Player values and wages have been tuned to be even more realistic. Managerial decisions have even more tangible effects on player performance and welfare. Smarter CPU decisions mean rival managers are even more strategic in their own pursuit of silverware.

This is the season where you make the difference! FIFA 07, PEGI rated as 3+, is available September 2006.

Key features
performance. Goals and possession result in rousing chanting as momentum builds for your team but dips to a frustrated murmur if you're struggling. The camera focuses on those players who wear their emotions on their sleeve.

EA SPORTS Interactive Leagues: Represent your club online against your rivals throughout the season in the F.A. Premier League, Bundesliga, French League or Mexican 1st Division. When they play, you play. Win and drive your club closer to glory. Lose and see your team plummet to the bottom of the table. Weekly podcasts include user interviews that broadcast your glory to the world.

IMPROVED GAMEPLAY: Passing and positioning have all been enhanced. Players jostle and collide realistically while trying to win balls. New ball physics accurately recreate bouncing, skidding and topspin. Signature moves and playing styles for the stars have been authentically captured.

SET PLAYS: Use the left analog stick to apply topspin or backspin to the ball for more creative set plays and finesse shots.

NEW SHOOTING MECHANICS: Experience a more sophisticated shooting mechanic that gives you greater control for pin-point accuracy.

ADVANCED GOALKEEPER AI: Goalkeeper intelligence is authentic, with true-to-life reactions and a greater variety of deflections and saves.

ENHANCED MANAGER MODE: Everything is real. Real money, youth player development, press and fan reaction. Immerse yourself completely in the world of a football manager. New this year - create your own club.

SOCIAL GAMING: Play against up to eight friends in the FIFA 07 LOUNGE to determine your champion. A new handicap system levels the playing field in the ultimate pursuit of bragging rights.

COMPLETE AUTHENTICITY: FIFA 07 features 27 leagues from 20 nations. Over 510 teams are accurately represented with correct kits and badges.

ONLINE EVERYWHERE: Never again miss any news with the ultimate sports ticker. While online, breaking news, live scores and results are delivered straight to your screen, 24/7.