Ronaldinho wins world player of year award

RONALDINHO was named FIFA’s world player of the year for the second successive season last night as Frank Lampard had to settle for second place.

Barcelona’s brilliant Brazilian, becomes only the third player to win the world award twice.

Lampard may be viewed by his Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho as the best player in the world but he came second in the voting by national team coaches and captains while Samuel Eto’o finished third.

Ronaldinho, 25, finished the overwhelming winner with 956 points compared to 306 for Lampard and 190 for Eto’o.

He joins the ranks of Real Madrid players Zinedine Zidane (1998 and 2003) and Ronaldo (1996, 1997 and 2002) as those who have won the FIFA award more than once.

Arsenal’s Thierry Henry came fourth in the voting, Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard seventh, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba 10th, Real Madrid’s David Beckham 18th and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney 19th.