Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho is the overwhelming
favourite to lift the World Footballer of the Year award for a second successive
season.
The Barcelona star has already been voted European Footballer of the Year and is
tipped to edge teammate Samuel Eto'o and Chelsea's English international Frank
Lampard for the global prize o be awarded Monday.
The award is based on votes by national team coaches and captains from around
the world.
Only France's Zinedine Zidane (1998 and 2003) and fellow Brazilian Ronaldo
(1996, 1997 and 2002) have won this award more than once since the vote was
introduced in 1991.
Seven players have won both the world and European award in the same year -
Marco Van Basten (NED/1992), Roberto Baggio (ITA/1993), George Weah (LBR/1995),
Ronaldo (BRA/1997 and 2002), Zidane (FRA/1998) and Rivaldo (BRA/1999).
If Lampard was to win, he would be the first Englishman to take the award while
Eto'o would become only the second African player, after Weah, to take the award.
There is also a Women's World Footballer of the Year award with Germany's Birgit
Prinz, America's Shannon Boxx and Marta of Brazil in contention.
Previous World Footballers of the Year winners
2004: Ronaldinho (BRA) Barcelona
2003: Zinedine Zidane (FRA) Real Madrid
2002: Ronaldo (BRA) Real Madrid
2001: Luis Figo (POR) Real Madrid
2000: Zinedine Zidane (FRA) Juventus
1999: Rivaldo (BRA) Barcelona
1998: Zinedine Zidane (FRA) Juventus
1997: Ronaldo (BRA) Inter Milan)
1996: Ronaldo (BRA) Barcelona
1995: George Weah (LBR) AC Milan
1994: Romario (BRA) Barcelona
1993: Roberto Baggio (ITA) Juventus
1992: Marco van Basten (NED) AC Milan
1991: Lothar Matthaus (GER) Bayern Munich |