Lionel Messi wins the Ballon d'Or!

 

The winner of the 2015 Ballon d’Or is... Lionel Messi!

And Ronaldo is NOT happy!

Matthias Hangst/Getty

FIFA via Getty

It's time for the big one

Time for the big one, guys.
To present the Ballon d’Or, they bring out another bona fide star of the game.
It’s former Brazil playmaker Kaka, a former winner of the award.
Standby for the winner...

Philipp Schmidli/Getty

  Key event

Women's World Player of the Year

We’re getting to the business end of things now.
The winner of the women’s World Player of the Year is... Carli Lloyd!
Great recognition for the American, who played such a key role in the USA’s World Cup win.
She’s very emotional, but chokes back the tears just enough to say:
“It’s an honour. This has always been a dream of mine.”

Getty Images

Neymar ready to party

The third and final Ballon d’Or nominee is up to speak.
Neymar is asked if he’s enjoying his time at Barcelona.
“We all share responsibility,” he says.
“It’s an honour... it’s not hard when you have such great players around you.”
Any final words?
“To be here, is a dream come true.
“If I win, we party. If I don’t win, we party.”
Top man.

Getty

  Key event

Puskas Award

Over 1.6million people have voted on the Puskas Award for goal of the year, says James Nesbitt, annoyingly.
Japan legend Hidetoshi Nakata announces the winner... and it’s Wendell Lira!
The unknown Brazilian looks a bit shell-shocked, as well he might.

Mike Hewitt - FIFA

update on Ballon d'Or 2015 live result and reaction as Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar await announcement photo, click and see

We'll bring you updates from Zurich as football's A-listers turn out to hear who will be crowned world footballer of the year at the FIFA ceremony

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The 2015 Ballon d'Or ceremony is here as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar find out who will be crowned world footballer of the year.
This year's event takes place in Zurich and features a whole host of awards, including men's and women's coaches of the year, Puskas award and more.
We'll also find out the FIFPro world XI. Follow our live coverage here throughout the afternoon.

Beleaguered Van Gaal faces Britannia ordeal

United managed only two shots on target as Norwich won 2-1 at Old Trafford last weekend and there is a strong feeling that failure to win at Stoke on Saturday or at home to Chelsea on Monday may cost Van Gaal his job.

The manager’s frustration at the public discussion of his future led him to walk out of a press conference on Wednesday after answering just three questions.

Cristiano Ronaldo is already really sick of Rafa Benitez

When Rafa Benitez was hired by Real Madrid to manage the side, no one was really sure how it would work out. He'd been disappointing for awhile, was coming off a poor season with Napoli, and has a history of odd decision making that might not sit well with some of Madrid's big stars.

His relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, the biggest of those big stars, was tested early when he announced Ronaldo would be played as a striker -- without telling the player first. That relationship has apparently been further strained, leading to Ronaldo twice exploding in training on Wednesday, shouting at Rafa over ruling out a goal the Portuguese forward scored in a small-squad match, then reacting furiously over a training game Benitez wanted Madrid to play.

Tell us how you really feel, Cristiano!

And he's got a point, too. While practicing crossbar shots supposedly helps with drilling accuracy or shot precision or whatever, hitting the crossbar a lot is kind of pointless and not great to do when you're actually playing a match.

Interestingly, several Napoli players have given interviews recently and said that Rafa's training methods lacked useful focus and intensity, and those interviews and others give an impression of an icy relationship between Benitez and the team's best players. If that kind of thing carries over to Real Madrid, Rafa might not be managing his boyhood club for long.

Suarez: Messi criticism is incomprehensible

Barcelona star Luis Suarez has defended Lionel Messi in the wake of recent criticism of the Argentine attacker's performances at the Copa America.

Messi guided his country to the final with a virtuoso performance against Paraguay in the semifinals, but was then unable to inspire Argentina against Chile, with the host eventually emerging victorious after penalties.

The 28-year-old has since received significant criticism for his inability to replicate his club form at international level, yet Suarez feels his teammate does not deserve the harsh treatment he has been receiving.

"For me, it is inconceivable that people are criticizing the best player in the world," Suarez was quoted as saying by AS.

"We are all humans. Messi wanted to win the Copa more than anyone else."

The Uruguay international also had his say on the future of Pedro, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League, and stressed that he hopes the attacker will stay at Camp Nou.

"It obviously depends on Pedro himself, but I hope he will stay. He is a great teammate and brings a lot to the team."

Suarez played a key role in Barcelona's treble win in 2014-15 and he is gunning for more silverware in the new season.

"Last season was pretty unique, but we have set ourselves new objectives. I never get tired of winning. I want to win all possible trophies in 2015-16."

Benitez confident of keeping Benzema

Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez is confident of keeping striker Karim Benzema at the club, despite reported interest from Arsenal.

The Premier League side is thought to be in the market for a stellar striker as it looks to build on last season's FA Cup win and third-place league finish.

Benzema has been routinely linked with Arsenal throughout his career, with the London club enjoying a rich history with French players.

But Benitez said after Benzema scored in Friday's 4-1 win over Manchester City in Melbourne: "People are asking me about different players that maybe we will buy.

"I always say: 'He's not our player and I will not talk about that.'

"In this case, Karim is our player, and I will not talk about that. I'm sure he will stay with us."

Benitez also moved to once again reassure Real fans that his relationship with star attacker Cristiano Ronaldo is fine, despite the Portugal captain apparently showing his disliking to some of the new coach's training methods.

"People were talking about something that happened in a training session, but today you could see he's happy and playing well," the Spaniard said. "I'm really pleased because he's scoring goals and getting man of the match. Everything is fine.

He added: "In football, you have to concentrate on the future, and the future is positive."

Manchester United reportedly accept PSG's offer for Di Maria

Manchester United are reported to have accepted a £45.9million ($71m) bid for Argentinian winger Angel Di Maria from Paris Saint-Germain.

Di Maria looks increasingly likely to leave the club just a year after completing a British record £59.7million move ($93m) from Real Madrid following an inconsistent debut season at Old Trafford.

Having made a promising start to life at United, Di Maria's form tailed off in November and he saw his place in the first team go to a rejuvenated Ashley Young, meaning the most expensive signing in British history had to make do with a place in the bench.

Di Maria has insisted that he is happy to stay with United and fight for his place, but it's believed the Argentina international wants to leave the club and return to the continent - with Spain his preferred destination.

United boss Louis van Gaal admitted earlier this summer that he was unsure if the player would still be at Old Trafford when the season started.

PSG have had a long-standing interest in the winger and challenged United for his signature last summer once it became apparent that he was to be sold by Real Madrid.

Now it seems they are ready to land their man with France Football claiming PSG's bid of 65million euros has been accepted by United - ensuring the club have lost an estimated £15million ($23m) on their record outlay.

The Argentinian is due to meet up with the United squad this weekend after being given an extended break following his Copa America commitments during the summer. Both United and PSG are currently on a pre-season tour in the United States and are due to face each other on Thursday.

Talks are already believed to be underway and the Parisian club are hoping to progress negotiations throughout the day and across the weekend, with the hope that Di Maria could arrive in the US tomorrow as a PSG player rather than a United one.

Van Gaal's side face Barcelona on Saturday night while PSG take on Premier League champions Chelsea not long after, before the two clubs meet each other where Di Maria might just be on the opposite side to his current team-mates.

The sale of Di Maria will increase rumours that United are planning a bid for their former player Cristiano Ronaldo, who is said to be unhappy with the training methods of recently-appointed Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez.

United have already spent around £80million ($124m)  this summer, with their big spending criticised recently by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic on MLS: 'I would like to play in U.S., absolutely'

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is open to a move to the United States.

The Swedish striker, who is currently being linked to a move to Manchester United, is currently in the United States with PSG for a series of pre-season friendlies.

“I would like to play in U.S., absolutely,” Ibrahimovic told Yahoo Sports on Thursday. “I would like to play. Which team? Am I allowed to say that? No, I cannot say that.”

Very cagey, Ibrahimovic. Very cagey.

Though it wasn’t hard to figure out where he’d want to be.

From Yahoo:

He didn’t have to name any MLS teams. The 33-year-old Ibrahimovic said he sees himself living in probably one of three American cities that he frequently visits on vacation. The three, in no particular order, are Miami, Los Angeles and New York.

I look forward to MLS introducing whatever rule is necessary to bring Ibrahimovic to the United States in three years.

ITALIAN SERIE A TRANSFERS - 2015/2016

• Jose Mauri
  Midfielder
• Italy
• AC Milan
• Parma
• Free

• Simone Verdi
  Midfielder
• Italy
• AC Milan
• Torino
• 450,000

• Rodrigo Ely
  Defender
• Brazil
• AC Milan
• Avellino
• Free

• Andrea Bertolacci
  Midfielder
• Italy
• AC Milan
• Roma
• 20million

• Luiz Adriano
  Attacker
• Brazil
• AC Milan
• Shakhtar Donetsk
• 8million

• Giuseppe De Luca
  Attacker
• Italy
• Atalanta
• Varese
• undisclosed

• Jasmin Kurtic
  Midfielder
• Slovenia
• Atalanta
• Sassuolo
• undisclosed

• Davide Bassi
  Goalkeeper
• Italy
• Atalanta
• Empoli
• Free

• Richmond Boakye
  Attacker
• Ghana
• Atalanta
• Juventus
• undisclosed

• Antonio Mirante
  Goalkeeper
• Italy
• Bologna
• Parma
• Free

• Ryder Matos
  Attacker
• Brazil
• Carpi
• Fiorentina
• Loan

• Luca Marrone
  Midfielder
• Italy
• Carpi
• Juventus
• Loan

• Lucas Castro
  Attacker
• Argentina
• Chievo
• Catania
• undisclosed

• Massimo Gobbi
  Midfielder
• Italy
• Chievo
• Parma
• Free

• Federico Mattiello
  Defender
• Italy
• Chievo
• Juventus
• Loan

• Lukasz Skorupski
  Goalkeeper
• Poland
• Empoli
• Roma
• Loan

• Rade Krunic
  Midfielder
• Bosnia
• Empoli
• Borac Cacak
• undisclosed

• Daniele Verde
  Midfielder
• Italy
• Frosinone
• Roma
• Loan

• Goran Pandev
  Attacker
• FYR Macedonia
• Genoa
• Galatasaray
• Free

• Darko Lazovic
  Midfielder
• Serbia
• Genoa
• Red Star
• Free

• Leonardo Pavoletti
  Attacker
• Italy
• Genoa
• Sassuolo
• 4million

• Serge Gakpe
  Attacker
• Togo
• Genoa
• Nantes
• Free

• Diogo Figueiras
  Defender
• Portugal
• Genoa
• Sevilla
• Loan

• Martin Montoya
  Defender
• Spain
• Inter Milan
• Barcelona
• Loan

• Geoffrey Kondogbia
  Midfielder
• France
• Inter Milan
• Monaco
• 40million

• Jeison Murillo
  Defender
• Colombia
• Inter Milan
• Granada
• 8million

• Joao Miranda
  Defender
• Brazil
• Inter Milan
• Atletico Madrid
• Loan

• Sami Khedira
  Midfielder
• Germany
• Juventus
• Real Madrid
• Free

• Mario Mandzukic
  Attacker
• Croatia
• Juventus
• Atletico Madrid
• 19million

• Norberto Neto
  Goalkeeper
• Brazil
• Juventus
• Fiorentina
• Free

• Roberto Pereyra
  Midfielder
• Argentina
• Juventus
• Udinese
• 14million

• Paulo Dybala
  Attacker
• Argentina
• Juventus
• Palermo
• 32million

• Simone Zaza
  Attacker
• Italy
• Juventus
• Sassuolo
• 18million

• Ravel Morrison
  Midfielder
• England
• Lazio
• West Ham
• Free

• Wesley Hoedt
  Defender
• Netherlands
• Lazio
• AZ Alkmaar
• Free

• Patric
  Defender
• Spain
• Lazio
• Barcelona
• Free

• Mirko Valdifiori
  Midfielder
• Italy
• Napoli
• Empoli
• 5million

• Pepe Reina
  Goalkeeper
• Spain
• Napoli
• Bayern
• Free

• Jorginho
  Midfielder
• Brazil
• Napoli
• Verona
• 4.5million

• Ahmad Benali
  Midfielder
• Libya
• Palermo
• Brescia
• Free

• Matheus Cassini
  Attacker
• Brazil
• Palermo
• Corinthians
• undisclosed

• Aleksandar Trajkovski
  Midfielder
• FYR Macedonia
• Palermo
• Zulte Waregem
• undisclosed

• Andrea Bertolacci
  Midfielder
• Italy
• Roma
• Gernoa
• 8.5million

• Leandro Paredes
  Midfielder
• Argentina
• Roma
• Boca Juniors
• 4.5million

• Radja Nainggolan
  Midfielder
• Belgium
• Roma
• Cagliari
• 14million

• Iago Falque
  Attacker
• Spain
• Roma
• Genoa
• Loan

• Matias Silvestre
  Defender
• Argentina
• Sampdoria
• Inter Milan
• Free

• Fernando
  Midfielder
• Brazil
• Sampdoria
• Shakhtar Donetsk
• 8million

• Lucas Torreira
  Midfielder
• Uruguay
• Sampdoria
• Pescara
• undisclosed

• Emiliano Viviano
  Goalkeeper
• Italy
• Sampdoria
• Palermo
• Loan

• Niklas Moisander
  Defender
• Finland
• Sampdoria
• Ajax
• Free

• Edgar Barreto
  Midfielder
• Paraguay
• Sampdoria
• Palermo
• Free

• Lorenzo De Silvestri
  Defender
• Italy
• Sampdoria
• Fiorentina
• undisclosed

• Christian Puggioni
  Goalkeeper
• Italy
• Sampdoria
• Chievo
• Free

• Mattia Cassani
  Defender
• Italy
• Sampdoria
• Parma
• Free

• Danilo Avelar
  Defender
• Brazil
• Torino
• Cagliari
• undisclosed

• Afriyie Acquah
  Midfielder
• Ghana
• Torino
• Hoffenheim
• undisclosed

• Marco Benassi
  Midfielder
• Italy
• Torino
• Inter Milan
• 3.5million

• Joel Obi
  Midfielder
• Nigeria
• Torino
• Inter Milan
• 2.4million

• Birkir Bjarnason
  Midfielder
• Iceland
• Torino
• Pescara
• 1million

• Ali Adnan
  Defender
• Iraq
• Udinese
• Rizespor
• 2.5million

• Federico Viviani
  Midfielder
• Italy
• Verona
• Roma
• 4million

• Samuel Souprayen
  Defender
• France
• Verona
• Dijon
• Free