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Cristiano Ronaldo is declared as the winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2014 after a stellar campaign for Real Madrid. The 29-year-old forward was crowned the World’s best player for the second year in a row as trumped arch rival Lionel Messi and Germany’s World Cup winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The 2013 winner, who enjoyed a stellar campaign by helping Carlo Ancelotti’s side do the double with Copa del Rey and the unprecedented La Decima (10th Champions League Title) last campaign.
Ronaldo finished on glaringly on top with 37.66% of all votes with Messi ( (15.76%) finishing second marginally ahead of Manuel Neuer, who received 15.72% votes. The Portuguese international’s club mate from Colombia James Rodrigues took home the FIFA Puskas Award for scoring the best goal. The 23-year-old had scored a spectacular effort against Uruguay in the FIFA World Cup 2014 round of 16 clash at the iconic Estadio do Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. Nadine Angerer became the Women’s Player of the Year in the previous edition but this year it was her namesake and compatriot Nadine Keßler, who enjoyed a stellar campaign with Wolfsburg that won the Women’s Bundesliga and Champions League for two years in a row. The 26-year-old denied
The first individual award of the night went to Hiroshi Kagawa, who picked up the FIFA Presidential Award from FIFA President Sepp Blatter. The 90-year-old from Japan was the oldest member of the media and has attended 10 FIFA World Cups as a journalist beginning with the 1974 edition in Germany. Illness prevented him from gracing the South African soil in 2010 but the Kobe native was once again spotted at the press box in Brazil where Germany lifted the title after beating Argentina 1-0.
Ralf Kellermann picked up the FIFA Coach of the Year for Women courtesy of his incredible contribution to Wolfsburg’s women’s team. The 46-year-old German tactician received 17.06% of all votes as he beat compatriot Maren Meinet (Germany Women’s U-20 squad) and Japan’s Norio Sasaki, who stood second and third with with 13.16% and 13.06% votes respectively. His compatriot Joachim Loew clinched the FIFA Coach of the Year for Men and deservingly so for leading Die Mannschaft to World Cup glory in Brazil last year. The 54-year-old thoroughly out-shined Carlo Ancelotti and Atletico Madrid counterpart with 36.23% of all votes. The Real Madrid manager stood second with 22.06% votes while his counterpart at Atletico Madrid received 19.02% to finish third.
FIFA FIFPro World XI Team:
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (Germany/Bayern Munich)
Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Spain/Real Madrid), David Luiz, Thiago Silva (Both Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain), Philipp Lahm (Germany/Bayern Munich);
Midfielders: Andres Iniesta (Spain/Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid), Angel Di Maria (Argentina/Manchester United);
Forwards: Arjen Robben (Netherlands/Bayern Munich), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid).
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