AC Milan midfielder Kaka won the 2007 Golden Ball award
 
AC Milan midfielder Kaka won the 2007 Golden Ball award Sunday in Paris after helping¹ the Italian club win the Champions League title this year with some standout performances.

The 25-year-old Brazil international notably² played a starring role in AC Milan's triumphant³ Champions League campaign scoring 10 goals.

"It has been a special year for me, this award underlines that," Kaka said. "The only way to win an award like this is to belong to a team which fights. I have to thank the players, the coach."

"It's a great honour as the wife of Kaka to be at this ceremony. I know how important it was for my husband to win this trophy," said his wife Caroline.

Kaka received 444 points from France Football magazine, which organized the vote. Portugal and Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo was second with 277, while Argentina and FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi finished third with 255.

Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro won the award last year after leading his team to the World Cup title in Germany.

The 52 journalists were only allowed to vote for a player from a European club.

This year's format⁴ was different, involving 96 journalists and a shortlist of 50 players worldwide.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was fourth with 108 points, and Italy and Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo finished fifth with 41.

After helping Real Madrid win the Spanish league title, striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was sixth. Brazil forward Ronaldinho, the 2005 winner, dropped to 12th, and France striker Thierry Henry was 19th.

上周日，2007年欧洲“金球奖”评选结果在法国巴黎揭晓，意大利AC米兰俱乐部中场球员卡卡获此殊荣。卡卡在今年的“欧洲冠军杯”比赛中以其突出的表现帮助球队夺得了冠军。

这位25岁的巴西球星在本届“欧冠杯”中共攻入10粒进球，对AC米兰队夺冠起到了十分关键的作用。

卡卡说：“对我来说，这是不同寻常的一年，这个奖项印证了这一点。只有为一个充满斗志的球队效力才能获此殊荣。因此我要感谢我的队友，感谢教练。”

卡卡的妻子卡罗琳说：“作为卡卡的妻子来参加他的颁奖仪式，我感到无比光荣。我知道，赢得这个奖项对于我丈夫来说有多么重要。”

根据法国《足球》杂志的评选结果，卡卡以444分荣获“金球奖”；葡萄牙国家队和曼联俱乐部边锋克里斯蒂亚诺•罗纳尔多以277分位居第二；阿根廷国家队和巴萨俱乐部前锋梅西以255分排在第三。

去年的“金球奖”得主是意大利国家足球队队长法比奥•卡纳瓦罗，他带领球队夺得了德国“世界杯”冠军。

按照以往的评选规则，只有52名记者能参与“金球奖”的投票，投票范围也仅限欧洲俱乐部的球员。

但今年的评选有所不同，参与投票的记者增加至96名，“金球奖”的50名候选人也扩大到了世界各地的俱乐部。

切尔西俱乐部前锋迪迪尔•德罗巴以108分位列第四，意大利国家队和米兰俱乐部中锋安德鲁•皮尔洛以41分名列第五。

帮助球队夺得西甲联赛冠军的马德里俱乐部前锋鲁德•范•尼斯特尔鲁伊位居第六。2005年金球奖得主、巴西国家队前锋罗纳尔迪尼奥跌至第12位，法国队前锋特里•亨利名列第19位。

 
Vocabulary:

winger:边路球员；边锋