‘We all play in our own way’

• It was the second successive year that Henry has finished runner-up in the poll, based on the verdict of 157 international coaches and, for the first time this year, 145 national team captains

The quote

For me just to be selected and be here was already an honour. This was a great victory, particularly as I have never been a great scorer. But we all play in our own way and each of the three nominees deserved to win.

The evidence

• Unlike his rivals for the award, Ronaldinho did not win a major club trophy this year. But he’s taken Barcelona from four years of gloom to a position where they are nine points clear at the top of the Primera Liga, in the last 16 of the Champions League and playing the most exciting club soccer in Europe

• In his league debut at the Nou Camp he scored one of the goals of the season against Sevilla. Picking the ball up on the halfway line, he sauntered through the Sevilla defence, cut inside towards the area before letting rip with an unstoppable shot from 25 metres.

• He then inspired Barcelona to a 17-game unbeaten run and second place last season

• This season’s highlight: A stunning last-gasp winner in a 2-1 Champions League victory over AC Milan last month. Leaving Alessandro Nesta for dead with a dazzling shimmy, he darted across the edge of the area and hammered the ball into the top corner.

The history

He is the fourth Brazilian to capture the award since its introduction in 1991 after Romario (1994), three times winner Ronaldo (1996, 1997 and 2002) and Rivaldo (1999). Remarkably, they all won the award when playing for Barcelona, though Ronaldo won later with Inter and Real

The full list:

1991 Lothar Matthaeus, 1992 Marco van Basten, 1993 Roberto Baggio, 1994 Romario, 1995 George Weah, 1996 Ronaldo, 1997 Ronaldo, 1998 Zinedine Zidane, 1999 Rivaldo, 2000 Zidane, 2001 Luis Figo, 2002 Ronaldo, 2003 Zidane