Cristiano Ronaldo wins Goal 50

The Real Madrid star says it is a "very big honour" to have topped Goal's annual list of the world's most outstanding players

By Alberto Pinero | Real Madrid Correspondent

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Goal 50 award for the world’s best footballer after a magnificent 2013-14 season.

The Real Madrid forward claims the title for the third time in recognition of an incredible campaign during which he led his club to a long-awaited 10th Champions League crown.

The 29-year-old, who also bagged the Copa del Rey, struck 51 goals in all competitions for his club.

He shared the European Golden Shoe with Luis Suarez and earlier this year picked up the 2013 Fifa Ballon d'Or.

After receiving the trophy, Ronaldo said: "It’s a very big honour for me to have been chosen as the best player. I’m sincerely grateful.

"I’m convinced that I wouldn’t have been able to win this award without the constant support from all the people at Real Madrid."

The Goal 50 is regarded as one of the most credible and respected awards in sport because it is chosen by the world’s biggest football website.

Voting takes place at the end of domestic and international seasons for the majority of countries.

More than 600 Goal journalists from our 35 editions around the world vote to select their top 50 players, giving a truly global view.

Ronaldo heads this year's list in front of second-placed Arjen Robben, who starred for Netherlands at the World Cup and helped Bayern to four trophies in 2013-14. Last year’s winner Lionel Messi finished third after another prolific season for club and country.

Commenting on the results, Graham Shaw, Editorial Director, said: "Goal 50 gives a truly global view on the players who have lit up an epic season. Congratulations to Cristiano Ronaldo who fully deserves to top this year's list after a sensational campaign."

Arsenal are lucky they didn’t sign disrespectful Suarez – Sol Campbell

The ex-Gunners hero has hit out at the new Barcelona star, but heaped praise on Alexis Sanchez and James Rodriguez

Former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell has slammed Goal 50 star Luis Suarez and says his old side are fortunate they failed in their attempt to sign the Uruguay striker last year.

The north Londoners famously tabled a bid of €50 million plus €1 for the 27-year-old, but the frontman remained at Liverpool for another year before completing a big-money transfer to Barcelona this summer.

“Mentality-wise he would not have been a good fit for Arsenal,” Campbell told Goal. 

“He has been caught [biting players] a few times now, including Brainslav Ivanovic. He has said he is sorry, but it is not a classy thing to do. He has done it on the biggest stage ever [at the World Cup] and for me it shows a lack of respect.

“There are so many kids watching and billions of fans around the world. Maybe Barcelona can sort him out.”

But Campbell, who won two Premier League titles at Arsenal during two spells at the club, did have words of praise for two other World Cup stars.

On Chile hero Alexis Sanchez, who has recently signed for Arsenal, he said: “Alexis is definitely going to be a good signing. His dynamics are good, he knows where the goal and he has a fantastic balance.”

On Colombia phenomenon James Rodriguez, who finished 6th in the Goal 50, Campbell remarked: “He is fantastic. He can shoot, read the game and find positions to utilise to score or put people in.”

To watch Goal’s entire exclusive interview with Campbell, click on the video above.

Neymar returns to training

The 22-year-old forward fractured a vertebra in a collision with Juan Zuniga during Brazil’s World Cup quarter-final against Colombia last month.
Neymar, nominated for the Golden Ball despite missing their semi-final obliteration by Germany and the disappointing third-place play-off defeat by Netherlands, successfully passed a medical on his return to Catalonia on Tuesday.

A statement on the Barcelona website read, “The four World Cup semi-finalists Leo Messi, Javier Mascherano, Dani Alves and Neymar all trained with their colleagues on Tuesday.
“They returned to the club for their medical tests and all passed with flying colours, and are now set for three weeks of intense training in the build-up to the start of official matches in three weeks’ time.”
Neymar scored 15 goals in 41 appearances in his first season at Camp Nou, after signing from boyhood club Santos for €87.2m last summer.

Can this be real???.....Official: Drogba completes Chelsea return.....

The legendary Blues striker left Stamford Bridge two years ago after celebrating Champions League glory, but has been lured back by Jose Mourinho

Chelsea have completed the signing of Didier Drogba on a one-year contract.

The 36-year-old returns to Stamford Bridge having left in 2012 after winning the Champions League.

Drogba, who featured for Cote d'Ivoire at the World Cup earlier this summer, has scored 157 goals in 341 appearances for Chelsea and has also won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups with the club.

"It was an easy decision,” the striker told the club’s official website. 

"I couldn't turn down the opportunity to work with Jose again. Everyone knows the special relationship I have with this club and it has always felt like home to me.

"My desire to win is still the same and I look forward to the opportunity to help this team. I am excited for this next chapter of my career."

Drogba is reunited with Jose Mourinho after working with the Portuguese for three years before his departure in September 2007.

"He’s coming because he’s one of the best strikers in Europe," the former Real Madrid and Inter coach said.

"I know his personality very well and I know if he comes back he’s not protected by history or what he’s done for this club previously. He is coming with the mentality to make more history."

What is the Goal 50?

On Monday July 28, the top 50 players from the 2013-14 season will be revealed. But what is the Goal 50?
The Goal 50 is a prestigious, annual award that recognises and ranks the world's 50 best footballers of the season.

Unlike the Fifa Ballon d’Or, which is based on the annual calendar, the Goal 50 judges the achievements of players over the course of an entire season.

The award is given out after all club and international competitions in the European calendar have been completed for the campaign.

	GOAL 50 PAST WINNERS
2008	CRISTIANO RONALDO
2009	LIONEL MESSI
2010	WESLEY SNEIJDER
2011	LIONEL MESSI
2012	CRISTIANO RONALDO
2013	LIONEL MESSI

Goal has 35 editions, with journalists in every football country. More than 600 experts from all over the globe vote to decide which players make up the Goal 50.

Votes are cast regionally and nationally - every territory is guaranteed to be thoroughly scouted - and our network of experts and analysts ensure nobody, regardless of club, country, age or position, misses out on the chance to make the list.

Players are judged on their level of consistency over the past season, their big-game performances, footballing legacy and the success of their team at both club and international level.

Graham Shaw, Goal’s Editorial Director, said: "Goal 50 gives a truly global view on the players who have lit up an epic season. The World Cup in Brazil was a fitting finale to a sensational campaign, and added fuel to the debate raging about who should top this year’s list."

Since its inception in 2008, the award has been won on three occasions by Lionel Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo has picked up the prize twice, with only Wesley Sneijder breaking the duopoly in 2010.

Messi is the current title-holder and remarked after last year’s triumph: "I'm very excited about this. As players, we work the entire year to win honours for the team, we don't look for the individual awards, but when they come it's an incentive and gives us strength to continue on the same path." 

The Goal 50 for 2014 will be announced on Monday July 28.

Messi: Nigeria has good players

Argentina talisman, Lionel Messi, has rated the Super Eagles players as very good, especially the attack and praised his team for overcom­ing the Nigerian team.

And with the Albiceleste wrapping up their spot in the next round thanks to a perfect group-stage record, their star forward vowed that there is still more to come, Mes­si pledged that his Argentina side would keep improving after they finished top of their group at the World Cup.

Messi, who scored twice against the African side to take his tournament tally to four, did not hide his desire for the team to step up their performance level as the competition enters its tougher phase.

“We saw a good Argentina, despite the two Nigerian goals. Now we want more, we have to keep improving,” he said to reporters.

“I think we have improved from the last two games. We played against a team that was going forward with good players.

“We said before: our strikers had to move a little bit more because we weren’t finding spaces. We had that today and we have to work, so the next game we won’t concede goals.”

The Barcelona forward also revealed that he was en­joying the atmosphere surrounding the tournament, as he bids to lead Argentina to their first World Cup trophy since 1986.

“It’s great to see so many people here. We were ex­pecting it and in the previous games it was like that,” he continued.

“It’s beautiful what we’re living through these days, I hope we can keep giving them joy.

“It’s a strange World Cup, with results we weren’t ex­pecting to see. We have to keep calm. We’re still behind our dream, the dream we all want.”

Cristiano Ronaldo: I never thought 'average' Portugal could win the World Cup

The Real Madrid forward spoke frankly to television cameras after his side's 2-2 draw with the United States on Sunday evening, admitting they have too many problems...

By Sam Lee at the Arena da Amazonia, Manaus

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has remarkably admitted that he never believed his 'average' side could win the World Cup.

The Seleccao are still in with a chance of making the last 16 but even if they were to beat Ghana in their final match a draw between Germany and the United States would see those two sides advance from Group G.

Paulo Bento's men were without four players through injury or suspension for Sunday's 2-2 draw with the US, and Ronaldo says the squad is not good enough to cope.

"Maybe we're an average team," he said. "It would be a lie to say that we are a 'top' team. We have many limitations and suffer from injuries such as with Pepe [who was suspended] and [Fabio] Coentrao. This limits us a lot. We have a very limited team and we are not at the best level. This does not enable you to beat top teams.

"There are no miracles. We knew we would have a tough group, with perhaps teams better than us. I never thought we could be world champions, we have to be humble and know our level. I'm not a hypocrite, I never thought we could win the tournament "

The 29-year-old was not as candid about the knee injury which has troubled him since the end of the domestic season, but did hint at the extent of the problem and insisted he would battle on.

"I don't want to justify myself by talking about my physical problems, that's water under the bridge," he added.

"I'm here, I'm fighting, I'm trying to do my best, I'm running, and obviously it's no use talking about my issues.

"Every day there's something new in the papers about my knee, and about this and that. That's why I don't want to justify myself. I'm here body and soul to help the national team."

Ronaldo also admitted Portugal looked tired against Jurgen Klinsmann's men in the humid conditions of the Amazon, but did not feel able to expand on that fully due to his own struggles.

"I'm not the most adequate person to answer that question, especially because I don't have the moral high ground here since I haven't been playing the way I would hope lately.

"Obviously we had a very long season, but every team here did as well. They were also playing the Champions League and cups and leagues, so it's something everyone else could point out as well.

"I don't think we lost [sic] the game because our players lacked attitude. Every team comes here to win. We knew we weren't favourites, we have never been."