Fabio completes world domination
The defender beat off competition from two-time winners Ronaldinho and Zidane
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Monday, 18, Dec 2006 10:15
World Cup hero Fabio Cannavaro has capped off a sensational year by winning the Fifa world player of the year award.
The Italian skipper won the prize ahead of Barcelona ace Ronaldinho and France legend Zinedine Zidane.
National team coaches and captains voted for the award, which was presented at a ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland.
Cannavaro, 33, also won the European footballer of the year award last month.
The Real Madrid centre-back said it had been an unbelievable year.
"The competition was scary, it was so strong," Cannavaro said.
"After winning the World Cup and the European footballer of the year award too, I do not think I can ask for anything else.
"It is not usual for a defender to be sitting alongside Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane, who get to do marvellous things all season, so I saw it as a victory just to be here."
Cannavaro, who was regarded as the best centre-back at the World Cup, is the first defender to win the award in its 16-year history.
He added that it was an honour to wear the number five shirt at the Bernabeu which was previously worn by Zidane.
"When I first came to Real everybody asked me what it meant to be wearing the same shirt," Cannavaro said.
"I can only say now what I said then, it is an honour to wear the same number as such a great player."
The former Parma star skippered the Azzurri to World Cup glory in July after beating France on penalties in the final on his 100th international cap.
In May, Cannavaro won the Serie A title with Juventus, which the club were later stripped of after the match-fixing scandal.