Zidane wins FIFA World Player of the Year

Zidane wins FIFA award

Zinedine Zidane is FIFA's World Player of the Year for 2003. It is the third time the Real Madrid midfielder has received the award, having also emerged victorious in 1998 and 2000. The 31-year old Frenchman received 264 votes, comfortably ahead of compatriot Thierry Henry with 186, and Real team mate Ronaldo (176).

The top ten vote-winners include five Real Madrid players:

1. Zinedine Zidane (France/Real Madrid) 264 votes

2. Thierry Henry (France/Arsenal) 186

3. Ronaldo (Brazil/Real Madrid) 176

4. Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic/Juventus) 158

5. Roberto Carlos (Brazil/Real Madrid) 105,

6. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands/Manchester United) 86

7. David Beckham (England/Real Madrid) 74

8. Raul (Spain/Real Madrid) 39

9. Paolo Maldini (Italy/AC Milan) 37

10. Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine/AC Milan) 26

Zidane becomes only the second player to win the award three times, alongside Ronaldo. This latest award is likely to propel the mercurial playmaker further into the pantheon of greats.

A recent Spanish poll placed him fifth in a list of the greatest players ever, and the FIFA prize is sure to cement his place as one of the finest players ever to kick a football.

Zinedine Zidane, who hails from Marseille in Southern France, started his career at Cannes, before graduating to Bordeaux. Despite reaching a UEFA Cup final and representing France for the Girondins, the 31-year old's rise to prominence coincided with his move to Italian giants Juventus in 1996.

As a star in the French team, Zidane became a national hero when he guided the team to 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 wins, before moving to Real Madrid for a world record fee of 73 million Euros in summer 2001.

As part of the Spanish dream team, Zidane's trophy cabinet has continued to fill at an alarming pace. He scored a fantastic winner in the 2002 Champions Legaue final and won the 2002/3 Primera Liga title with Real.

Is Zinedine Zidane a worthy winner? Have your say on our message board!

http://www.eurosport.com/home/pages/V3/L0/S22/E5817/mboard_Lng0_Spo22_Evt5817_Sto520771.shtml

This is a travesty. Henry was robbed!

congrats to zidane, i thought henry won it when the commentator in arsenal's match said something about henry preparing his speech of acceptance,

Its not meant to be announced till 2pm my time.

Congrats Zidane

congrats but henry should have won it.he fully deserved it.
fifa and uefa make a habit of a compulsion to include real madrid players everywhere.
the 3 nominees should have been
ruud van nistelrooy
thierry henry
paolo maldini
and the winner would be a close call between ruud and henry

aha....
what for exactly ? he's a great player ... but he doesn't really deserve it at all.

Ronaldo is very good, Raul is awesome, Nevded is very skilled too, aswell Henry and RVN.

But guys ... Zidane is the most skilled player in the world SO FAR, since Maradona.

Who see every match of Zidane i think is agree with me.

Dumb award.........should have been Pavel.

Pavel Nedved or Henry...Zidane shouldn' t have won the damn thing especially after his team was knocked out by Pavel' s team! Oh wait, Zidane won the Confederations Cup...there...that must be the tie breaker...Henry won the FA Cup ...which I guess is not as big as the Confederations Cup eh?

I like Zidane and congrats to him, but Henry deserved it more

Those points or votes are a damn lie....Maldini ahead of Shevchenko. And Roberto Carlos ahead of Van Nistelrooy ?...HAHAHAHAHAHA !

I find it very weird. How come Eurosport knows it already and the BBC doesn't. Has it been officially announced yet?

Originally posted by mhflierman
I find it very weird. How come Eurosport knows it already and the BBC doesn't. Has it been officially announced yet?

Click to expand...

http://www.fifa.com/en/index.html

Supposed to be 15:00(CET).

At least Ronaldo didn't win it.

It' s not who did not win it but who did...Zidane is good, very good but not the best.

Best ofhte year:
Henry, Van Nistelrooy, Nedved, Makaay

Nedved or Henry should have it. Although im happy Henry didn't get it, so that he can concentrate on his game and not on the off field politics.

Atta baby Zizou

keep it in the hands of Real Madrid

Henry will win it next year

Originally posted by chatterbox
Pavel Nedved or Henry...Zidane shouldn' t have won the damn thing especially after his team was knocked out by Pavel' s team! Oh wait, Zidane won the Confederations Cup...there...that must be the tie breaker...Henry won the FA Cup ...which I guess is not as big as the Confederations Cup eh?

Click to expand...

In 2003 Henry won the FA Cup

In 2003 Zidane won Intercontinental Cup, European SuperCup and the Spanish League ...

That's just unfair Henry should have won it but congrats to Zidane anyhow.

Future Serie A player Birigt Prinz has won the women's award by the way.

Zidane deserves it, he led Real Madrid when Ronaldo had his growing pains and was mercurial mid-season in LaLiga.
And it's voted by International coaches so they are not as influenced by European politics and propaganda.

Lot of support for Nedved and Henry on the board, but they just aren't as good as Zidane and didn't accomplish more for country and club.