Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi was awarded the 2009 Ballon D'Or, French magazine France Football said on its website on Tuesday. The 22-year-old became the first Ballon D'Or winner from Argentina, eclipsing runner-up and last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo by a record 240-point margin.
Premier League champions Manchester City were drawn on Thursday with Juventus, Wydad AC and Al Ain in Group G for next year's FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has criticised FIFA's Ballon d'Or award given to the world's best player for glorifying the individual at the expense of the team.
Cristiano Ronaldo capped a remarkable year by claiming a fourth Ballon d'Or award on Monday after leading Portugal to an emotional European Championship title and Real Madrid to a record-extending Champions League crown in 2016.
Barcelona star striker Neymar has said that although winning the Ballon d'Or award is one of his goals, he will not 'die' even if he never lifts the coveted individual prize in his career.
Just few days after becoming a father for the fourth time, Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed that he wants a total of seven children and same amount of Ballon d'Or awards.
The 24-year-old has started the current season strongly with two goals and an assist in the first two league matches and Martial believes his compatriot can reach the next level and become the best footballer in the world.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale have been shortlisted for this year's coveted Ballon d'Or award.
Chelsea's Eden Hazard believes he may need to join a Spanish club in order to be crowned the world's best player, but he ruled out a move in the January transfer window.
Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo had reportedly 'taunted' Barcelona ace Lionel Messi after he won the Ballon d'Or by parading the trophy before Madrid's match against Granada, before firing a message as to who is the best around.
Lionel Messi reclaimed the FIFA Ballon d'Or award for the world player of the year on Monday from his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo who had walked off with the award for the previous two years.
'The silky touch, the swerving runs, the parabola pass perfection, the goals -- Salah on a football pitch these days is a sporting experience so celestial you feel inebriated just witnessing it.' 'It is football of the gods: Pure, eye-popping and incomprehensible,' applauds Dhruv Munjal.
A major surprise in the 2024 Google search trends was the absence of iconic names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, M S Dhoni, and Virat Kohli from the list of the top 10 most-searched athletes.
Lionel Messi does not deserve to win the next FIFA Ballon d'Or as he has only won one minor trophy this year, his former Barcelona team mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic said on Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d'Or for world player of the year on Thursday for a joint-record fifth time, going level with eternal rival and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the player to have won the prize the most times.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will resume their perennial battle to be crowned the world's best footballer after they headed the shortlist of 30 players for the 2016 Ballon d'Or announced on Monday.
Manchester United and Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the 2008 Ballon d'Or, French magazine France Football said on its website (http://www.francefootball.fr ) Tuesday.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri believes Cristiano Ronaldo deserves to win the Ballon D'Or, following media reports that the forward has not been short-listed for the award's final three for the first time since 2010.
AC Milan's Brazil playmaker Kaka has won the 2007 Ballon D'Or, the former European Footballer of the Year award now extended to players in other countries around world, Italian media reported on Saturday.
Salvatore Schillaci, who was born in the Sicilian city of Palermo and was hospitalised there, suffered from colon cancer.
Barcelona's Xavi, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta are on the shortlist for the first FIFA Ballon D'Or award for the best player in the world to be presented on Monday at a ceremony that gets bigger by the year.
France football legend Thierry Henry, who's on his maiden visit to India, has put Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among the top contenders to win this year's Ballon d'Or trophy.
Factbox on Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi who won the Ballon d'Or for world player of the year for an unprecedented fourth successive time on Monday.
Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes magazine's list of highest-paid athletes for the fourth time in his career.
Cristiano Ronaldo's sister failed to see the funny side after Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk joked that the Portuguese forward is "not really a rival" in the Ballon D'Or award voting.
Factbox on the Real Madrid and Portugal forward who was voted FIFA Player of the Year on Monday.
Chhetri will make his final appearance for India on the international stage when he takes the field in the FIFA World Cup Qualifying clash against Kuwait
AC Milan and Brazil playmaker Kaka was awarded the 2007 Ballon d'Or on Sunday.
Salah's strikes brought him to a remarkable 43 goals in all competitions this season, keeping him at the front of the list of top scorers in Europe
Argentina won a record 16th Copa America title by beating Colombia 1-0 thanks to an extra-time goal from substitute Lautaro Martinez.
Legendary footballer Cristiano Ronaldo had a stupendous 2023 as he ended the year as the world's top goal-scorer. Following the landmark, the Portuguese superstar said that he will try to achieve it again next year.
After picking fifth Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo's reignites eternal debate
Should the Portugal forward triumph, he will equal the record of his great rival and five-time winner Lionel Messi of Barcelona, who is also nominated.
Miami are set to take on Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on January 29 before facing Al-Nassr at the same venue on February 1.
Last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Lionel Messi were among the 30 players on the 2009 Ballon d'Or award shortlist released on Sunday but Italian and German players were conspicuous by their absence.
Lionel Messi is on course for a record-equalling third consecutive Ballon d'Or, soccer's highest individual award, after the Argentine forward was among the three shortlisted nominees named on Monday.
Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who defeated Barcelona star Lionel Messi to clinch the Ballon d'or award for the fourth time, has said the victory celebrations have been tarnished by allegations of tax fraud. Ronaldo, who lifted the coveted award after inspiring Zinedine Zidane's side to the Champions League glory and Portugal to the European Championship 2016 trophy, said the allegations have been hard to bear for himself and his loved ones and also "partly spoiled the pleasure" of winning the coveted award.
Mbappe says playing for Real Madrid will complete childhood dream
Football's world governing body FIFA named Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery as the three nominations from a 10-player shortlist for the Ballon d'Or award on Monday.
