Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United player, was the winner of the 53rd edition of the Golden Ball yearly handing the French magazine "France Football" with a total of 446 points, ahead of the Argentinian player Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and Liverpool's Spanish Fernando Torres.
The Portuguese player won two votes more than those achieved by the Brazilian Kaka last year, when they led this prestigious trophy with 444, so that his victory has been no appeal to the rest of the other candidates to take the
Golden Ball. The second position went to the Argentinian player Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona, third last year, and has achieved a total of 281 points, while Liverpool's Spanish striker, Fernando Torres is the Spanish had to settle for third place with 179, and the Real Madrid goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, finished fourth with 133 Eusebio (1965) and Luis Figo (2000), while the fourth player from Manchester United that he succeeds after Héritier of Law (1964), Bobby Charlton (1966) and Best (1968).
A world of difference
Ronaldo drew a large margin to the second ranked, Lionel Messi, who returned to be the second consecutive year among the candidates to take the
Golden Ball, which earned a total of 281 points.
Liverpool's Spanish striker, the
Golden Ball. The 96 judges who had gathered to award the France Football
Ballon d'acknowledged massive player's performance in the Champions League, his exceptional regularity in the Championship in England, where he was declared top scorer last year, and its terrible effectiveness against the opposite goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the third Portuguese who succeeds after the
Ballon d' Fernando Torres, finished third with 179.
The victory of Spain in the European nations disputed in Austria and Switzerland in June last appreciated many of the members of the 'red', to the point that seven of them were included in the votes of the
Golden Ball. Thus, in addition to Torres, were voted the Madrid Casillas (133), the Barcelona Xavi (97) and Valencia David Villa (55). Other Spanish were rated Marcos Senna (Villarreal, 16 points), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal, 4) and Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, 3), who completed the roster of Spanish representatives on the list of
Golden Ball. Also noteworthy was the presence of Argentine Sergio Aguero on the list of players voted. The youngest footballer of all the candidates finished fourteenth with 10 points, while the winner of last year, the Brazilian Kaká, it had to settle for eighth place with a total of 31 points.