Champions League - Kaka wins Ballon d'Or

Milan and Brazil playmaker Kaka has been awarded the 2007 Ballon d'Or by France Football magazine.

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The gong, formerly known as the European Player of the Year award, was voted for by 96 journalists from around the world from a shortlist of 50 players.

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo was second with Barcelona's Lionel Messi in third place just ahead of Chelsea's Didier Drogba.

Until last year, when Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro won the award after leading his side to World Cup glory in Germany, 52 European journalists voted for a player from a European club.

For this year's award, 96 journalists from around the world voted and the shortlist of 50 players featured players based in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Qatar.

"The only way you can win this award is being part of a team of fighters. So I thank my team mates, my coach and also my team mates in the Selecao," Kaka said.

"Also, thank you to all those who have been beside me throughout my career."

The elegant Kaka is already the winner of the FIFPro world Player of the Year and UEFA European Club Player of the Year awards and is the big favourite for FIFA's World Player of the Year award to be announced later this month.

His 10 goals in guiding Milan to their seventh European Cup triumph in May set up this flurry of awards in a year without a World Cup or European championship.

Factbox on Kaka:

* Born: April 22, 1982 in Brasilia, Brazil

* Makes an immediate impact for Sao Paulo scoring 12 goals in 27 appearances in the 2001 season.

* Plays just 18 minutes in Brazil's 2002 World Cup triumph

* Moves to Milan in 2003 and makes his debut on September 1 in a 2-0 win over Ancona. He goes on to score ten league goals and four Champions League goals in his first season and then spurs Milan to the Italian title in 2004.

* Helps Brazil to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2006, during which he signs a contract extension with Milan which is supposed to keep him at the San Siro until 2011.

* Real Madrid make their interest well-known following the World Cup and Kaka firmly establishes himself as one of the best in the world as he inspires Milan to their seventh European Cup title in 2007.

* Named FIFPro World Player of the Year 2007 and is later awarded the Ballon d'Or. He is also hot favourite for FIFA World Player of the Year gong.

Past winners:

1956 - Stanley Matthews (England)

1957 - Alfredo di Stefano (Spain)

1958 - Raymond Kopa (France)

1959 - Alfredo di Stefano (Spain)

1960 - Luis Suarez (Spain)

1961 - Omar Sivori (Italy)

1962 - Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)

1963 - Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)

1964 - Denis Law (Scotland)

1965 - Eusebio (Portugal)

1966 - Bobby Charlton (England)

1967 - Florian Albert (Hungary)

1968 - George Best (Northern Ireland)

1969 - Gianni Rivera (Italy)

1970 - Gerd Mueller (West Germany)

1971 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

1972 - Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)

1973 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

1974 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

1975 - Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)

1976 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)

1977 - Allan Simonsen (Denmark)

1978 - Kevin Keegan (England)

1979 - Kevin Keegan (England)

1980 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)

1981 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)

1982 - Paolo Rossi (Italy)

1983 - Michel Platini (France)

1984 - Michel Platini (France)

1985 - Michel Platini (France)

1986 - Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)

1987 - Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)

1988 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)

1989 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)

1990 - Lothar Matthaeus (Germany)

1991 - Jean-Pierre Papin (France)

1992 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)

1993 - Roberto Baggio (Italy)

1994 - Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)

1995 - George Weah (Liberia)

1996 - Matthias Sammer (Germany)

1997 - Ronaldo (Brazil)

1998 - Zinedine Zidane (France)

1999 - Rivaldo (Brazil)

2000 - Luis Figo (Portugal)

2001 - Michael Owen (England)

2002 - Ronaldo (Brazil)

2003 - Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)

2004 - Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)

2005 - Ronaldinho (Brazil)

2006 - Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)

2007 - Kaka (Brazil)