Ballon d’or Winner is: Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid CF and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has retained the FIFA Ballon d’Or, beating Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer to the world crown.

Ronaldo picks up the award for the third time, joining an elite group of only five players to have won it more than twice. It comes after another incredible 12 months for the 29-year-old. He plundered 62 goals in as many games for club and country,breaking multiple records including becoming the first player to score in two UEFA Champions League final wins – one of four trophies for the No7 in 2014.

“It has been an unforgettable year,” said Ronaldo after collecting the accolade from Thierry Henry. “To win a trophy of this kind is unique. I want to continue as I have and go on for more titles for the team and myself, to improve and get better with every day. I’d never have thought I’d pick up this trophy on three occasions. I want to be one of the greatest players of all time.”

Löw honoured
Germany’s FIFA World Cup-winning boss Joachim Löw was named FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football 2014, seeing off competition from Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone. “It is a huge honour to receive this award, the icing on the cake that was the World Cup,” said the 54-year-old.

“Those who know me know I don’t accept this as my own, though; I accept it on behalf of many others. The World Cup was the consequence of many years of hard work. I thank all German coaches who work with young players – I am nothing without good players. I thank the DFB [German Football Association] for creating the structures that brought this success, and the Bundesliga.”

The FIFA Puskás Award for goal of the year went to Real Madrid’s James Rodríguez for his remarkable volley for Colombia against Uruguay at the World Cup.

The FIFA/FIFPro World XI:
Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern München); Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München), David Luiz (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid CF); Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid CF), Ángel Di María (Manchester United FC); Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF), Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona), Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München).

Nadine Kessler took the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year prize, with VfL Wolfsburg’s Ralf Kellermann honoured as top women’s coach.

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Germany’s Captain Philipp Lahm retires from International Football

Germany captain Philipp Lahm has retired from international football after leading his side to victory at the World Cup in Brazil.
The 30-year-old Bayern Munich defender, who can also play in midfield, played 113 times for Germany.

His retirement from the national side was confirmed by the German FA (DFB).
“I am happy and grateful that the end of my career with the national team coincides with winning the World Cup in Brazil,” he said in an open letter on the DFB website.

Lahm’s international career started in February 2004 with a 2-1 defeat of Croatia and ended with the 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.
DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach said: “Philipp called me this morning and personally informed me of this step. I very quickly realised that it was pointless trying to persuade him to reconsider his decision.
“He was not just a superb player for 10 years in the national team, but also a complete role model. I thanked him for everything that he’s done for the DFB.”
Lahm now plans to focus on the club side that he joined aged 11 and has been captain of since 2011.
“There is hardly a better farewell than to be a world champion at the peak of your career,” Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.
“But for the national team, it will not be easy to replace Lahm as a player, captain and a man.”

Toni Kroos completes $41 Million move to Real Madrid from Bayern Munich !

Toni Kroos has completed his £24million move to Real Madrid from Bayern Munich.

The German champions announced on Thursday morning that an agreement had been reached between the clubs and he would make an immediate transfer.

Kroos’ contract was due to expire next summer and the World Cup winner has penned a six-year deal at the Bernabeu.

That year they also clinched the Champions League, before winning the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup last season.

In total, Kroos made 173 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 23 goals, 13 for Bayern and 10 during an 18-month loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen.

The midfielder was an ever-present for Germany at the World Cup, lifting the trophy in Rio de Janeiro last Sunday.

He joins compatriot Sami Khedira in Madrid and will be presented to the media later on Thursday after undergoing a medical.

Berlin welcomes home the Champions!

Hundreds of thousands of jubilant Germans welcomed their triumphant national soccer team home in Berlin on Tuesday, waving flags and wearing the national colours as they basked in the nation’s fourth World Cup victory.

Landing at the capital’s Tegel airport, captain Philipp Lahm led the team down the plane’s stairs holding above his head the golden trophy secured in Sunday’s final, with midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger close behind him wrapped in a German flag.

German soccer fans cheer as they wait for the arrival of their team, winners of the 2014 World Cup, at a public viewing zone called ‘fan mile’ in Berlin, July 15, 2014. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Earlier, a Boeing 747 carrying the national soccer team returning from the Brazil World Cup did a flypast over Berlin in honour of the new world champions.

The unusual gesture was announced at short notice and shortly before the plane landed at Berlin’s Tegel airport, the large plane flew over the German capital’s fan zone where tens of thousands of fans were waiting for their heroes to show up.

Nearly half a million revellers packed Berlin’s “fan mile,” a 1.3 km stretch of road running from the west of the capital up to the iconic Brandenburg Gate, for a massive party. Many more lined the streets in the city centre along the team’s route.

Ground personnel of Tegel airport wave to German soccer team leaving in a bus after arriving in Berlin Tuesday. (Fabian Bimmer/Reuters)

Fans in Germany shirts, many with their faces painted in black, red and gold and some wearing wigs and bandanas in the national colours, had started drinking beer hours before the team’s touchdown.

“It’s an amazing atmosphere, it doesn’t get any better than this,” said Lukas Klein, 19, who drove through the night from the northern city of Bremen to be in Berlin. He told his boss he was sick.

A roar went up from the crowd when the team’s plane circled overhead, and the fans counted down from 10 to its touchdown on the tarmac. “Football’s coming home!” they bellowed.

“I am really excited to welcome the world cup winners during my lifetime. I am from East Germany and this is important,” said Guenther Richter, 51, from East Berlin.

Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in Rio de Janeiro marked the first time a reunified Germany has been world champion, with West Germany having won the trophy in 1954, 1974 and 1990.

Television channels blanketed the airwaves with coverage and newspapers dedicated whole editions to the victory.

“This is what four feels like!” splashed top-selling Bild on its front cover, with a picture of the team with their hands raised. Underneath it described what it considered the four attributes of the team: self-confident, together, fierce, modern.

Germany snatched the win in extra time with a stunning goal from fresh-faced Mario Goetze, the nation’s 22-year-old boy wonder.

German soccer fans cheer as they wait for the arrival of their team, winners of the 2014 World Cup, near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Tuesday. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

The crowds chanted Goetze’s name along with that of Schweinsteiger, who got a battering during the final match and ended up with a bloody cut under his eye.

“Welcome, World Champions!” Berliner Zeitung splashed on its front page.

Even the usually sober Handelsblatt business daily ran a picture on its front page of coach Joachim Loew, affectionately known as Jogi, under the headline “Model Germany.”

The success of the national team since 2006, when Germany hosted the World Cup, is widely seen as having helped Germans take greater pride in their nationality, which their history had previously made them uncomfortable about displaying.

‪Germany‬ beats ‎Argentina‬ 1-0 in Extra Time and Win the ‪World Cup‬ ‪Championship‬ in ‎Brazil‬ 2014!

Germany beat Argentina 1-0 to win soccer’s World Cup a fourth time.

Golden Ball: Winner: Leo Messi
Golden Glove: Winner: Manuel Neuer

Substitute Mario Goetze scored in the 113th minute to give the Europeans soccer’s biggest prize. The goal came in the second period of extra time, and allowed the Germans to avoid a penalty shootout. Both sides had chances in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium, with Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain shooting wide in the first half when he was one-on-one with Manuel Neuer.

In extra time, the European’s Andre Schuerrle hit the first shot of the period straight at Sergio Romero in the Argentine goal, while Rodrigo Palacio could only flick over the head of Neuer and out of play at the other end.

Germany’s fourth World Cup title makes it the first European team to capture the trophy in Latin America. It is Germany’s first first title since 1990.

Argentina, a two-time champion, was in the final for the first time in 24 years. Lionel Messi, a record four-time World Player of the Year, was trying to win his first World Cup title with the South Americans.

German midfielder Sami Khedira was injured in the warmups and was replaced by Christoph Kramer, who was replaced after 30 minutes following a blow to the head.

Through the first 20 minutes, the Europeans had 58 percent of possession, but didn’t have anything to show for the advantage. By 20 minutes into the second half, the advantage had grown to 63 percent of possession.

Chances

In the first half, Argentina had the best chance, with Higuain being played onside by a header back from Toni Kroos, but the Argentine forward bashed the shot wide.

Higuain had the ball in the German net after 30 minutes but was correctly ruled offside. Kramer’s replacement, Schuerrle, hit a shot right at Sergio Romero, but Mesut Ozil was flagged for being offside.

In the 40th minute, Messi ran up the German right, getting past Mats Hummels and in on Manuel Neuer but the ball was cleared by Jerome Boateng.

Just before halftime, Benedikt Hoewedes headed the ball off the post from a corner kick, but Romero was able to control the ball.

The first chance of the second half fell to Messi, who shot wide past a beaten Neuer in the opening minute. Miroslav Klose, who holds the record as the tournament’s career scorer, headed straight at Romero.

Going for Four

Kroos had a chance 10 minutes before the end of regulation time when Ozil feed him a pass just outside the penalty area but the midfielder’s shot trickled wide.

Germany’s team, known as Die Mannschaft, draws even with Italy on four world titles since the inaugural 1930 edition with a victory. Only Brazil, with five championships, has more. It was Germany’s eighth time in the final, more than any other country.

The six other previous editions in Latin America were won by Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay.

On June 8, Germany demolished Brazil 7-1 in the semifinal in Belo Horizonte, causing some home fans to break down in tears and leave the stadium early. The Germans scored five goals in an 18-minute stretch of the first half.

A World Cup host had never previously lost a game by more than three goals, and Brazil hadn’t allowed more than five in an entire World Cup since 1998.

It is the third final between Germany and Argentina. Diego Maradona’s Argentina beat Germany 3-2 in Mexico in 1986 and the Germans avenged the defeat with a 1-0 win in Italy in 1990.

Germany also won the tournament in Switzerland in 1954 and when it was the host nation in 1974.

Messi, Argentina’s 27-year-old captain, was voted FIFA world player of the year four times and won three European titles with Barcelona. Argentina reached the final by beating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout in the semifinals.

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