BSNblog

This award is the Golden Ball for best player in football a long campaign, which annually delivers the Parisian magazine 'France Football', after the secret ballot for a jury made up of global journalists from 96 countries.

The voting announced yesterday showed that the tip had 446 points and surpassed clearly the Argentine Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona (281), and the Spanish Fernando Torres, Liverpool's English (179).

Ronaldo got two votes more than those achieved by the Brazilian Kaká last year, when it took this prestigious prize with 444.

The consensus to define the winner was almost unanimous. Of the 96 reporters who participated (53 are from European media and 43, who went to World countries such as Costa Rica), Cristiano received 77 votes in the first place, against six for Messi and five for El Niño Torres.

First three posts are for the Spanish Xavi, two for the goalkeeper Iker Casillas, and one for the scorer David Villa, Marcos Senna steering wheel and the Italian goalkeeper Buffon.

Unstoppable. A cash register scorer, with 42 goals scored throughout the period 2007-2008, including Sceptrum top scorer in the Champions League with eight and many of the Premier League with 31, Cristiano Ronaldo converted a decisive actor in a great season fulfilled by Manchester United.

The Portuguese, however, had emerged as the big star and winner of the Championship to be played in Austria and Switzerland, but Portugal was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Portuguese is the third to win the prize, after Eusebio (1965) and Luis Figo (2000). Moreover, it happens to other glories of Manchester as Denis Law (1964), Bobby Charlton (1966) and George Best (1968).

The Golden Ball is the culmination of a series of awards that reached as the footballer of the year as world players union, the association of players from England and the British press.

His next goal will be the Player of the Year award from FIFA, to be announced on Jan. 12.