Same old faces

None of FIFA's deserves to be named player of the year

By Gavin Hamilton, World Soccer Magazine

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Thierry Henry, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane have made the shortlist for FIFA's World Player of the Year award, to be announced at the FIFA Gala in Basle on Dec. 15.

No place for Pavel Nedved, Raul, Ruud Van Nistelrooy or Paolo Maldini -- any of whom would make a far worthier winner than FIFA's holy trinity.

I have to declare an interest here. On Dec. 11, we will announce World Soccer's World Player of the Year, an award voted by our magazine's readers and subscribers. We're proud of our award. It's the longest running of its kind -- established in 1982 and now in its 21st year -- because it demonstrates, year after year, that World Soccer readers are among the most knowledgeable people in football.

FIFA's award, in contrast, is voted for by the world's national coaches, who year after year demonstrate their weakness for big personalities over footballing talent and achievement.

Ronaldo is the favorite to win this year's FIFA award -- not because he deserves it, but because he remains the world's most high-profile footballer, though Mrs. Beckham would beg to differ.

Ronaldo scored a wonderful hat trick against Manchester United in a thrilling Champions League quarterfinal at Old Trafford in April. It was a match that was watched, admired and remembered by millions around the world. But Ronaldo has not even been the best player at his club in 2003. Raul and Roberto Carlos would contest that honor. FIFA's coaches have a habit of missing the target.

In 2001, Luis Figo was their surprise choice. He won FIFA's gong thanks to votes from coaches in such footballing hotbeds as Barbados, Cape Verde Islands, Kazakhstan and Palestine. Not forgetting Tonga, Cuba and Myanmar.

Figo's main claim to fame in 2001 was that of the world's most expensive player following his record transfer to Real Madrid. His football earned very few plaudits, but his return to Barcelona in a Real Madrid shirt for the first time earned headlines around the world.

Figo finished seventh and sixth respectively in the 2001 polls conducted by World Soccer and France Football. Yet somehow the 130 coaches who took part in FIFA's vote ranked Figo above the likes of Michael Owen, Raul, Rivaldo, Zidane and Oliver Kahn.

The voting for World Soccer's 2003 award closes in a few days time. I can reveal that unless there is an extraordinary late flood of votes, the winner will not be one of the three men on the FIFA shortlist. And rightly so.

In the last few days, Thierry Henry has been touted as the world's best player on the basis of his goals against Inter in Milan. But one game does not a World Player make, and Arsenal, lest we forget, failed to reach the knockout stage of last season's Champions League.

Pavel Nedved has been outstanding for Juventus and the Czech Republic over the past 12 months. Raul has been consistently brilliant for Real Madrid and Spain, while Ruud Van Nistelrooy has been in great form for Man Utd and Holland. Paolo Maldini's comeback from the disappointment of the 2002 World Cup to lead Milan to a sixth European Cup is also worthy of recognition.

Any one of the above would a more credible winner of the FIFA award than the three players on the official shortlist.

But FIFA's coaches know best, don't they?

Gavin Hamilton is editor of World Soccer Magazine. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.