Ronaldinho wins FIFPro Player of the Year

Nov 6, 2006, 18:28 GMT

Barcelona, Spain - Brazilian star Ronaldinho has been voted the FIFPro player of the year for the 2005-06 season.

FIFPro is the worldwide players association for all professional soccer players.

The Barcelona and Brazil playmaker earned the most votes from the 43,000 player ballots.

Ronaldinho was a key member of the Barca team that claimed the Primera Liga and Champions League crowns this past season. The only negative on the 26-year-old's resume this past year was his team's performance in the World Cup this past summer. Brazil was knocked out by France at the quarter-final stage.

FIFPro also announced their team of the 2005/06 season, with World Cup standouts earning a large number of spots.

Four members of Italy's World Cup-winning team - Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta and Andrea Pirlo - were chosen. Runner-up France had three selections - Lilian Thuram, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry.

Other members of FIFPro's team of the year were England captain John Terry, Brazil's Kaka, Cameroon and Barca's Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho.

Eto'o also received the FIFPro Merit Award for his exceptional and positive contribution to soccer.

Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi won the ASPIRE Young FIFPro Player Player's Award and Portugal and Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo was handed the ASPIRE Young Player Fan Award.

© 2006 The Sports Network