Ballon d'Or winner Kaka also took home FIFA's top individual prize, heralding the arrival of a new generation of stars. The 25-year-old Brazilian was competing with Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, 22, and Barcelona's Lionel Messi, 20, for the prestigious award. "All three of us are young," Kaka told reporters before Monday's event. "This means that football has started a new cycle."
Despite AC Milan's domestic problems in Serie A, Kaka led the Rossoneri to the UEFA Champions League title last season, scoring 10 goals during the eight-month long knockout competition. On Sunday, Milan added the Club World Cup title to its trophy cabinet, thrashing Boca Juniors, the South American champion, 4-2, in the final in Yokohama. Kaka was once again instrumental in the victory, scoring once and assisting on two other goals.
Despite another fine individual performance, the Brazilian insisted that Milan could not be successful without the entire team. "A great player doesn't exist without a great squad," he added. "In [Yokohama], it was Milan's victory, not Kaka's. And we are all extremely happy for this success that has taken us to the top of the world … Individual prizes in soccer don't exist."
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