GALA HIGHLIGHTS FIFA BALLON DOR WINNER: Cristiano Ronaldo FIFA WOMENS WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nadine Kessler FIFA PUSKAS AWARD: James Rodriguez FIFA WORLD COACH OF THE YEAR FOR MENS FOOTBALL: Joachim Low FIFA WORLD COACH OF THE YEAR FOR WOMENS FOOTBALL: Ralf Kellermann WORLD XI: Neuer; Lahm, Ramos, David Luiz, Thiago Silva; Di Maria, Iniesta, Kroos; Messi, Ronaldo, Robben FIFA PRESIDENTIAL AWARD: Hiroshi Kagawa FIFA FAIR PLAY AWARD: FIFA Volunteers BALLON DOR SELFIE Four-time Ballon dOr winner Lionel Messi didnt manage to take home the coveted prize this year, but hes still smiling, as this selfie taken by girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo shows! RELIVE THE RED CARPET Before the Gala, there was fevered excitement with fans lining the red carpet. Weve got a selection of some of the best images as the stars arrived. ANGEL DI MARIA “Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are different types of player, but there’s no question they’re the best two around. FIFA should have two Ballons d’Or: one for them to contest and another for the rest.” DIEGO SIMEONE “I haven’t watched the Champions League final against Real Madrid again, and that’s not just because it hurts. I mean, what’s the point of watching it all over again when I can’t change the outcome? We really competed for a long time in that game, but it all went wrong in one fatal minute and we lost. Reaching the Champions League final was one of the high points of a spectacular year.” CROUCH FOR 2015 BALLON DOR? The Stoke City forward has tweeted his ambition for the coming year. Ronaldo this year maybe next year #BallonDOr2014 CARLO ANCELOTTI “I’ve always said that Zinedine Zidane was the player I most enjoyed watching in training, because of the things he did. And Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the players I most enjoy watching on the pitch. He’s a perfectionist and he has an awful lot of talent, but he works very hard to polish that talent and improve the many attributes that he possesses.” Congratulations @Cristiano for the #BallondOr ! And compliments to @Manuel_Neuer ! Im happy to play with you @realmadrid and @DFB_Team ! #FIFA Toni Kroos FAVORITES CRISTIANO RONALDO “The fact is, if I think back to the first time I was invited to this ceremony, I’d never have imagined this scene being repeated so many times. Every time I come back it feels great. All those achievements are starting to feel even more special now that my son Cristiano understands what’s going on and knows why I’m here.” Congratulations to my colleague Joachim Löw !! #BallondOr 10:33 PM - 12 Jan 2015 Carlo Ancelotti @MrAncelotti Follow 3,455 RETWEETS 3,613 FAVORITES A great honour to be in the #FIFProWorldXI ! I wanna thank all my colleagues @fifpro for their vote! @fifa #ballondor REAL MARK ON THE BALLON DOR From 1957-1959 the Ballon dOr was won by Real Madrid players: Alfredo Di Stefano (1957, 1959) and Raymond Kopa (1958). It was then won by Luis Figo (2000), Ronaldo (2002) and Fabio Cannavaro (2006) before Cristiano Ronaldo won in 2013 and retained his title this year. CRISTIANO THE CHAMPION After an incredible year, in which he won the UEFA Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo wins his third Ballon dOr, retaining the FIFA Ballon dOr he picked up at last years Gala.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 09:33:28 +0000