Chapter 509: FIFA Confederation Ballon d'Or
The internal debate within Real Madrid gradually came to an end, as people turned their attention to the new hot topic: the FIFA Annual Awards Ceremony scheduled for January next year.
The biggest difference compared to previous years is naturally the new award created by the merger of the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, known as the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
With the merger of the awards, the selection rules naturally merged as well. Earlier, FIFA announced the selection rules for the 2010 Ballon d'Or, with 208 world-renowned media outlets and 208 national team coaches and captains participating in the voting.
At the same time, the candidate pool was further narrowed down. Instead of the traditional 30 candidates for the Ballon d'Or, a shortlist of 23 players was announced, including China's Wang Feng and Dong Fangzhuo.
In addition to them, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were also present, along with a group of players who performed exceptionally well in the World Cup, such as Sneijder, Robben, Iniesta, and Villa.
The voting choices for each judge were also reduced. Previously, judges could select five individuals to receive 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 point(s) respectively. Now, they can only select three individuals to receive 5, 3, or 1 point(s).
In terms of predicting the eventual winner, everyone felt there was no suspense. This new annual award was undoubtedly going to be given to Wang Feng! Just kidding. A Chinese superstar holding league, Champions League, and World Cup titles, as well as European and World Golden Boots, if such an ultimate achievement couldn't win an award, then the FIFA Ballon d'Or would become the biggest joke in history.
After the match against Real Zaragoza, Real Madrid formed a team and headed to Japan to participate in the Club World Cup. Their semifinal opponent was South Korea's Jeonnam Dragons from the K League.
The result was an easy 3-0 victory for the Galacticos, with Wang Feng contributing two goals.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid's opponents in the final unexpectedly came from the CAF Champions League winners, AS Mazembe from Congo. In the semifinals, this team caused an upset by eliminating the South American Copa Libertadores champions, Internacional from Brazil.
However, the underdog ultimately couldn't sustain its momentum. With a goal and an assist from the Chinese superstar, the Galacticos won 2-0 against AS Mazembe to claim the championship.
This was Real Madrid's fourth consecutive Club World Cup title, further establishing their dominance in this competition and asserting their position as the best club in the world at the moment.
After rushing back to Madrid, the team played two league matches, winning both. In the 16th round against Sevilla and the 17th round against Getafe, the Galacticos secured victories with scores of 2-1 and 3-0 respectively. Wang Feng also contributed with two goals and one assist.
Unfortunately, Barcelona, who were at the top of the table, didn't make any mistakes either, maintaining a five-point lead. On the top scorer list, the Chinese superstar was way ahead with 25 goals, while Messi ranked second with 18 goals.
The fifth round of the Copa del Rey took place during the league break, with Real Madrid facing Levante. After winning the first leg 2-1 at home, they drew 1-1 away thanks to Wang Feng's goal, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 3-2 aggregate score.
In the 18th round of La Liga, the match between the Galacticos and Villarreal at home was unusually tough, as key players like Wang Feng had already flown to Zurich, Switzerland, to prepare for the FIFA Annual Awards.
Fortunately, young striker Morata played a decisive role as a substitute, scoring the winning goal to secure a 1-0 victory and three valuable points for the team.
This year's award ceremony saw Wang Feng and Lu Yao attending together. It was Lu Yao's first public appearance under the spotlight after giving birth. People were surprised to find that she was still as beautiful and dignified as before, with a hint of maturity, exuding charm.
Wang Feng was dressed in a tailored slim-fit suit, with a slightly curled hairstyle, complementing his exquisite and lively appearance. Together, they looked like a perfect couple.
Even Sneijder, who attended the ceremony with them, couldn't help but smile wryly and say, "Why are you guys dressed so stylishly? It makes me look like a country bumpkin."
Wang Feng lightly patted his shoulder and said jokingly, "Come on, nobody cares about your image. But that bald head does look a bit out of place." He couldn't help but laugh, earning a series of eye rolls from Sneijder.
As they settled into their seats in the opera house, after a brief performance, the main event finally began. The first announcement was for the Team of the Year, with Real Madrid and Barcelona emerging as the biggest winners, taking almost 90% of the spots.
The Fair Play Award was won by the Haitian Football Association, while the Best Female Coach went to a German coach. The Best Male Coach was awarded to Ali Han, who led the Chinese team to become the new champions of the World Cup, a well-deserved honor.
The FIFA President's Award was received by former Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who actively supported the successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and promoted football to improve community life.
Wang Feng once again won the Puskás Award for his extraordinary goal in the Champions League final. "This goal should have been considered one of the greatest in history, but unfortunately, there was no award for it at the time. Now it's being made up for," said the presenter Zidane with a smile.
The FIFA Women's World Player of the Year remained Brazil's Marta, winning it for the fifth time.
Finally, the climax of the ceremony arrived with the FIFA Ballon d'Or. As Ali Han walked onto the stage with a golden envelope, the audience erupted into enthusiastic applause. Everyone knew what this meant; the award belonged to none other than Wang Feng! The three nominees, Wang Feng, Messi, and Sneijder, stared intently at the Dutchman on stage. Ali Han didn't keep them waiting and quickly opened the envelope, taking out the card. "I announce that the winner of the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or is—Wang Feng!"
The faces of Messi and Sneijder visibly darkened, but they quickly adjusted their emotions and congratulated Wang Feng. This year, they truly accepted defeat to the Chinese superstar.
After exchanging smiles with them, Wang Feng walked straight to Lu Yao and tightly embraced her. "Thank you, Yao Yao, thank you for always being by my side, supporting and taking care of me."
Lu Yao was somewhat moved as she hugged him back, and once again, thunderous applause filled the venue as everyone sent their blessings to this exemplary couple.
After a moment, the two separated, and Wang Feng walked up to the stage to receive the Ballon d'Or trophy from Ali Han. This was his seventh time lifting this highest honor in the world of football, reaffirming the dominance of the Chinese superstar.
The World Cup was supposed to be the weakest link in Wang Feng's award evaluation, but he single-handedly won the World Cup, turning it into the biggest plus point, one that no one could ignore.
Messi, sitting in the audience, felt a mix of emotions. He longed to relive the glory of his predecessor Maradona and lead Argentina to its third World Cup title, but it seemed he still had a long way to go.
Gently stroking the trophy, Wang Feng said, "Last year was the happiest and most rewarding year for me. Although it's not surprising to stand here, I'm still very happy."
"Thank you to everyone who has been with me along the way, whether at the club or the national team, whether teammates, coaches, or staff. I remember your hard work, which has supported me to this day."
"Thanks to my parents, my family, who form a large circle of relatives and friends, for their encouragement and support during the World Cup."
"My goals for the future remain unchanged: to continue bringing exciting matches to everyone, to fight for glory for the club, and to strive to stand on this award podium again next year!"
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