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World Soccer Awards 2012

Posted 218 days ago

This year we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the World Soccer Awards.

The first World Player of the Year award was made in 1982, along with prizes for the World Manager and World Team of the year.

The World Player award is now the longest-running award of its kind in the world game. FIFA’s award, which has now been merged with France Football’s Ballon d’Or, was first given out in 1990.

Paolo Rossi was the first winner of World Soccer’s World Player award in 1982, and he has since been succeeded by an illustrious list of the biggest names in the world game.

Last year Lionel Messi won the award for a second time, having previously triumphed in 2009, and he is now bidding to become only the second man to collect three World Players titles, after Ronaldo (1996, 1997 and 2002). Fellow two-time winners are Michel Platini (1984 and 1985), Ruud Gullit (1987 and 1989), Marco Van Basten (1988 and 1992) and Ronaldinho (2004 and 2005).

For 30 years, World Soccer readers have decided the winners of our annual poll. This year we will also be asking a panel of journalists, pundits and World Soccer correspondents to contribute their votes – as well as select a World Xl, by position, from the past year.

The results will be revealed in our January 2013 edition, published in mid-December.

We have produced a shortlist of 10 for each category.

Please vote by clicking here, naming your World Player, Team and Coach of the Year.

Player

Didier Drogba: Chelsea/Shanghai Shenhua & Ivory Coast.

Scorer of the equalising goal and winning penalty in the Champions League Final.

Radamel Falcao: Atletico Madrid & Colombia.

Hero of the Europa League Final for the second year running.

Eden Hazard: Lille/Chelsea & Belgium.

Another great season in the French league before a high-profile move to Stamford Bridge.

Andres Iniesta: Barcelona & Spain.

Brilliant for Euro winners Spain, he won UEFA’s award for the Best European Player of 2012.

Lionel Messi: Barcelona & Argentina.

A phenomenal scoring record last season, with 73 goals in 60 club appearances, winning the ESM Golden Shoe.

Neymar: Santos & Brazil.

The youngster continued to wow crowds in Brazil and is the central figure for the national team with 2014 on the horizon.

Andrea Pirlo: Juventus & Italy.

Discarded by Milan but proved he is still a brilliant orchestrator for club and country.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid & Portugal.

His goals fired his club to the Spanish league title for the first time in four years.

Yaya Toure: Manchester City & Ivory Coast.

The driving force in his club’s Premier League title success.

Xavi: Barcelona & Spain.

Another brilliant year for the magical midfielder who was World Soccer’s 2010 World Player.

Coach

Marcelo Bielsa: Athletic Bilbao.

El Loco” had a dramatic effect in his first season with Bilbao, reaching the Spanish Cup and Europa League Finals.

Vicente Del Bosque: Spain

Low-key but highly effective in sustaining Spain’s run of success, winning the European Championship to add to the 2010 World Cup.

Roberto Di Matteo: Chelsea 

Brought in as a stopgap replacement for Andre Villas-Boas, his safety-first tactics secured Chelsea their first Champions League.

Rene Girard: Montpellier

The former French federation youth coach steered the Ligue 1 outsiders to a surprise French title success.

Jurgen Klopp: Borussia Dortmund

His young side claimed a second successive Bundesliga title with more vibrant, attacking football.

Jose Mourinho: Real Madrid

“The Special One” oversaw his club’s record-breaking, title-winning season in the Spanish league.

Herve Renard: Zambia

The little-known Frenchman guided the unfancied Zambians to victory in the African Nations Cup.

Diego Simeone:Atletico Madrid

The former Atletico midfielder returned to the club as coach and within months was celebrating Europa League success.

Luis Tena: Mexico under-23s

A key figure in his federation’s coaching set-up, he guided Mexico to Olympic gold-medal success at London 2012.

Tite: Corinthians 

The much-travelled Brazilian took Corinthians to their first-ever success in the Libertadores Cup.

Team

Atletico Madrid

Won their second Europa League title in three years after victory in the all-Spanish Final.

Borussia Dortmund

The Ruhr side confirmed their status as Germany’s dominant club with a domestic double.

Chelsea

They may not have been pretty, but exciting victories over Napoli, Barcelona and Bayern Munich ensured a first Champions League success.

Corinthians

The Brazilians became South American club champions for the first time with victory in the Libertadores Cup.

Juventus 

Italy’s most successful club returned to the summit of Serie A following an undefeated league season.

Mexico 

Beat favourites Brazil in the London Olympic 2012 Final to continue their impressive run of form at youth and under-23 level.

Montpellier

The outsiders saw off the challenge of big-spending Paris Saint-Germain to win a first French league title.

Spain

Hailed as one of the greatest teams of all time following their Euro 2012 victory – their third successive tournament win.

Universidad 

The Chileans won the Sudamericana Cup with some thrilling, attacking football.

Zambia

Defied the odds and beat favourites Senegal, Ghana and Ivory Coast to win the African Nations Cup – 20 years after the national squad was wiped out in a plane crash.

Voting has now closed. The results of this year’s poll will be published in the January 2013 issue of World Soccer (on sale: December 14, 2012).

 

401 Comments

  • victir vargas says:
    4:08 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Radamel Falcao: Atletico Madrid & Colombia.

    Hero of the Europa League Final for the second year running.

  • Orlando Cabrera says:
    4:08 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Team: UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE
    Player: Lionel Messi.
    Coach: Marcelo Bielsa.

  • Alfredo says:
    4:11 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Player: Radamel Falcao

  • Jefferson Aprigio says:
    4:12 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Player: Neymar
    Coach: Tite
    Team: Corinthians

  • Henshi says:
    4:13 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Team : Universidad de Chile
    Player : Messi
    Coach : Bielsa

  • Rafael Maestre says:
    4:14 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Jugador: falcao
    Tecnico: diego simeone
    Equipo: atletico de madrid

  • Emerson Garcia says:
    4:17 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Jogador:Cristiano Ronaldo
    Treinador:Tite
    Equipe:Corinthians

  • Manazul says:
    4:18 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Jugador:
    Lionel Messi
    Coach: Bielsa
    Equipo: Universidad de Chile

  • Pedro Pablo Mejía says:
    4:19 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Jugador: Falcao
    Técnico: Simeone
    Equipo: Chelsea

  • josejjara says:
    4:23 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Jugador: Falcao
    Equipo: Colombia
    Tecnico: José Pekerman

  • Esteban Z says:
    4:23 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Radamel Falcao
    Mexico
    Diego Simeone

  • Arcas Gotman says:
    4:24 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Jugador: Falcao
    Técnico: Vicente Del Bosque
    Equipo: Atlético de Madrid

  • Hugo Andres says:
    4:24 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Jugador: Falcao
    Técnico: Marcelo Bielsa
    Equipo: Universidad de Chile

  • manuel says:
    4:25 PM on 23rd October 2012

    jugador: radamel Falcao
    Tecnico: Diego Pablo Simeone
    equipo: atletico de madrid

  • Nicolás Miño says:
    4:25 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Team: UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE
    Player: Lionel Messi.
    Coach: Marcelo Bielsa.

  • arleyseyer says:
    4:27 PM on 23rd October 2012

    jugador : Radamel Falcao Garcia
    Tecnico: Simeone
    equipo: atletico de madrid

  • Igal says:
    4:27 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Player: Radamel Falcao
    Coach: Marcelo “El Loco” Bielsa
    Team: Universidad de Chile

  • D10S L10NEL says:
    4:31 PM on 23rd October 2012

    - Player: Lionel Messi
    - Coach: Marcelo Bielsa
    - Team: Spain

  • jose says:
    4:33 PM on 23rd October 2012

    equipo: Universidad de Chile
    jugador: Cristiano Ronaldo
    dt: Bielsa

  • Paulo Henrique David says:
    4:34 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Player: Neymar.
    Coach: Roberto di Matteo
    Team: Juventus

  • jose says:
    4:35 PM on 23rd October 2012

    equipo:Universidad de Chile
    Jugador: Messi
    DT: Bielsa

  • Patricio says:
    4:37 PM on 23rd October 2012

    team: universidad de chile

  • Stiven Arroyave says:
    4:37 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Player: Radamel Falcao
    Coach: Diego Simeone
    Team: Atlético de Madrid

  • gustavo perez says:
    4:39 PM on 23rd October 2012

    jugador: falcao
    técnico: Simeone
    Equipo: Atletico Madrid

  • claudio says:
    4:41 PM on 23rd October 2012

    - Player: Lionel Messi
    - Coach: Marcelo Bielsa
    - Team: Universidad de Chile

  • guemmi says:
    4:41 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Jugador: Falcao
    Técnico: Vicente Del Bosque
    Equipo: Atlético de Madrid

  • Gustavo says:
    4:42 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Team: Universidad de Chile

  • The meisther says:
    4:42 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Player : Radamel Falcao
    Coach : Diego Simeone
    Team : Atlético de Madrid

  • Mak says:
    4:44 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Player: Falcao
    Manager: Vicente Del Bosque
    Team: España

  • Robinson Contreras says:
    4:45 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Player: Lionel Messi
    Coach: Marcelo Bielsa
    Team: Universidad de Chile

  • Javier says:
    4:47 PM on 23rd October 2012

    Player: Lionel Messi
    Coach: Marcelo Bielsa
    Team: Universidad de Chile

  • kennedy says:
    10:20 PM on 23rd October 2012

    player; lionel messi
    coach; herve renard
    team; montpellier

  • gabriel says:
    12:04 AM on 24th October 2012

    Messi
    Mexico
    Tena

  • Carlos Avila says:
    12:17 AM on 24th October 2012

    jugador: Falcao
    entrenador: Mourino
    equipo: chelsea

  • Pancho says:
    12:59 AM on 24th October 2012

    Player: Didier Drogba
    Coach: Roberto Di Matteo
    Team: Universidad de Chile

  • kokichi says:
    1:00 AM on 24th October 2012

    Player: Lionel Messi
    Team: Chelsea
    Coach: Vicente Del Bosque

  • Nico says:
    3:39 AM on 24th October 2012

    Lionel Messi

    Marcelo Bielsa

    Universidad

  • mario junior says:
    3:41 AM on 24th October 2012

    player: radamel
    coach: jose mourinho
    team: spain

  • Giovanni says:
    3:42 AM on 24th October 2012

    Jugador: Leonel Messi
    Entrenador: Alfredo Tena
    Team: México

  • francisko says:
    3:49 AM on 24th October 2012

    Player: Yaya Toure
    Coach: Marcelo bielsa
    Team: Universidad De Chile

  • luis hernandez says:
    3:49 AM on 24th October 2012

    falcao
    luis fernando tena
    mexico

  • Camilo says:
    4:09 AM on 24th October 2012

    Player: Radamel Falcao

    Coach: Jurgen Klopp

    Team: Juventus

  • Fatalte says:
    4:46 AM on 24th October 2012

    Coach: LF Tena
    Team: México!!

  • Leo says:
    1:35 PM on 24th October 2012

    Player : Messi (Di Maria do not in the list ? Because ?)
    Coach : Jurgen Klop
    Team : Atletico de Madrid

  • Iguazu says:
    3:24 AM on 25th October 2012

    Player: Falcao
    Coach: Pekerman
    Team: Colombia

  • John says:
    10:21 AM on 25th October 2012

    player: Messi
    manager: Girard
    team: Zambia

  • Christian David says:
    4:30 PM on 25th October 2012

    Jugador: Falcao
    Técnico: Pep Guardiola
    Equipo: Barcelona

  • Max Ciceri - Italy says:
    5:00 PM on 25th October 2012

    I don’t understand how you could exclude Antonio Conte, Juventus coach. Everyone should know that he was shamefully persecuted by the Italian Federation, the press and the media.
    He was tried and sentenced without evidences. Excluding him from this vote the best Italian coach is a crime!
    Don’t make yourself guilty of such a crime!!!!

    My vote is for:

    player: Andrea Pirlo
    Team: Barcelona
    Coach Antonio Conte

  • Meastro says:
    5:08 PM on 25th October 2012

    Player: Falcao
    Coach: ANTONIO CONTE
    Team: Barcelona

  • Alessandro says:
    7:51 PM on 25th October 2012

    player: Pirlo
    coach: ANTONIO CONTE
    team: juventus

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