January/February 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or highlights | Confederations Cup draw review | A key year on and off the pitch | Global glory for Corinthians | Brazil’s indoor maestros | Japan near the fi nish line | Tackling concussion head on | A world of development | The rise and rise of Cape Verde Record man Fourth year on top for Messi emirates.com Tomorrow brings us all closer To new people, new ideas and new states of mind. Here’s to reaching all the places we’ve never been. Fly Emirates to 6 continents. EDITORIAL Celebrating the best Dear friends of football, The year 2013 has only just got under way, but already we have celebrated the fi rst highlight of the year, with the successful staging of the latest FIFA Ballon d’Or gala in Zurich providing an uplifting start to what promises to be a very exciting year. In an age when newspapers and other media are frequently fi lled with negative stories, we should cherish the fact that, in the world of sport at least, there is still a desire to celebrate positive achievements and praise those players who have excelled beyond even the expectations of their peers. That has certainly been the case for Lionel Messi, who has further cemented his reputation as one of the best players of all time after winning the FIFA Ballon d’Or for an unprecedented fourth year running. As Messi himself reminded the gala guests, however, individual achievements are only possible in football with the support of your team “The latest FIFA Ballon and it was fi tting that strong team efforts were also refl ected among the d’Or gala provided an the night’s other sporting awards – with Spain coach Vicente del Bosque picking up the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football award in uplifting start to what recognition of his side’s EURO 2012 triumph, and USA striker Abby Wambach and former head coach Pia Sundhage winning the FIFA Women’s World promises to be a very Player of the Year and FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football awards, following on from the Americans’ victory in last year’s Women’s exciting year” Olympic Football Tournament. As well as highlighting spectacular feats – such as the stunning goal that earned Miroslav Stoch this year’s FIFA Puskás Award – the gala also gave us the chance to honour those who have upheld our game’s most important values. The bestowal of the FIFA Fair Play Award on the Uzbekistan Football Federation for the exemplary conduct of its teams in 2012 was just such a moment. I was similarly delighted to hand this year’s FIFA Presidential Award to Franz Beckenbauer – a man who has put his heart and soul into football during a remarkable career that has seen him excel as a player, as a coach and as an administrator. With the awards ceremony over for another year, we can now look forward to seeing which stars will shine brightest in 2013 – a year which will also be very important for all of us at FIFA. As always, there are plenty of competitions to look forward to. An obvious highlight will be Brazil’s staging of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013, with the traditional curtain-opener to next year’s FIFA World Cup™ involving no fewer than four former world champions for the fi rst time in its history. The Confederations Cup is just one of six senior and youth tournaments taking place during the next 12 months, however, with Morocco’s hosting of the fi rst FIFA Club World Cup on African soil and Tahiti’s staging of the fi rst Beach Soccer World Cup in Oceania among other “fi rsts”. We can also look forward to more stars of the future emerging on to the scene at the FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cups in Turkey and the UAE respectively. It only remains for me to wish all FIFA World readers success in achieving whatever goals you have set for yourselves in the coming year. For the Game. For the World. Joseph S. Blatter FIFA WORLD I JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 3 Around the world Another fi ne Messi Corinthian conquest decisions and that referees would continue Argentina’s Lionel Messi made yet more Brazilian giants Corinthians took club to have the fi nal say. “We must ensure history in January when he was voted the football’s most prestigious title back to that when the ball goes into the goal, world’s best player for a record fourth South America in December after beating the referee gets that information. The straight year. The 25-year-old FC Barcelona European champions Chelsea 1-0 in the technology won’t change the speed, value star picked up the FIFA Ballon d’Or in fi nal of the FIFA Club World Cup. The side or spirit of the game, so there is no reason recognition of another highly impressive from São Paulo became only the second to be against this technology.” For more 12 months in which he scored a staggering club to lift the trophy twice – matching on the FIFA Club World Cup 2012 and the 91 goals for both club and country. Messi FC Barcelona’s achievements in 2009 deployment of GLT, see our tournament saw off competition from Barcelona team- and 2011 – and the fi rst ever from South review starting on page 42. mate Andrés Iniesta and 2008 FIFA World Player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo, with “Big Phil” back for Brazil the Real Madrid and Portugal star fi nishing Brazil have reappointed Luiz Felipe Scolari as runner-up for the second year running. as their national team head coach with Spain’s national team coach Vicente del barely a year and a half to go until the Bosque won the FIFA World Coach of the country’s hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Year award after leading the Spanish to Cup. Scolari, who led Brazil to victory at their third consecutive major title at UEFA the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ in Japan/Korea, EURO 2012. The women’s football awards was appointed by the Brazilian Football were meanwhile dominated by the USA’s Confederation at the end of November, Olympic gold medal-winning national shortly after the dismissal of his predecessor side – with striker Abby Wambach being America to do so. The Brazilians, who Mano Menezes. Scolari will be supported named FIFA Women’s Player of the Year booked their place in the fi nal with a by another World Cup-winning coach, and the team’s former coach Pia Sundhage 1-0 win over African champions Al-Ahly, with Brazil’s USA 1994 head coach Carlos collecting the FIFA World Coach of the Year also ended a run of fi ve years in which Alberto Parreira having been appointed as award for women’s football. For more on the competition had been won by the the team’s technical coordinator. the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2012, see our review European representatives. beginning on page 12. Over the starting line The FIFA Club World Cup also made history with the fi rst-ever in-competition usage of goal-line technology (GLT). Following July’s decision to incorporate GLT into the Laws of the Game, two systems were deployed by FIFA at the Japan tournament, with the aim of selecting the system which will be used at this year’s FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup™. FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke described the introduction of GLT as “a kind of revolution”, but reiterated that the technology would apply only to goal-line 4 FIFA WORLD I JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Inside this issue 42 6 12 48 VIEW NEWS FOCUS SUMMARY 6 12 42 58 Bangkok, Still the best Corinthians Associations Mönchengladbach, Messi wins fourth straight crowned All change in Chile and Goma FIFA Ballon d’Or São Paulo side end Europe’s new plans for the EURO Striking images from the Club World Cup dominance world of football 20 60 Reunions and fi rst 48 Men’s ranking meetings Kings of the court Spain fi nish top for fi fth Excitement in store after Brazil rule world futsal year running Confederations Cup draw once more 62 30 54 Women’s ranking An important year Island warriors USA cap a golden year Savouring the highlights The surprising rise of of 2013 football in Cape Verde 64 Archive 34 Stretching out with Talking heads Alcides Ghiggia Concussion discussions at the home of FIFA FIFA WORLD I JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 5 VIEW Twists and turns Brazil star Falcão goes for the spectacular during his team’s FIFA Futsal World Cup semi-fi nal meeting with Colombia (below); FSV Mainz right back Zdeněk Pospěch and Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Juan Arango throw some interesting shapes during a December Bundesliga encounter. 6 FIFA WORLD I JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 FIFA WORLD I VIEW 7 A passion for playing Football provides a welcome distraction for young people living in Goma, the capital city of Congo DR’s confl ict-riven North Kivu province. 8 FIFA WORLD I JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 FIFA WORLD I VIEW 9 Letters to FIFA A selection of comments from the FIFA World and FIFA.com mailbags November/December 2012 Indian football reboot Russian host cities India defi nitely seems to be a sleeping It’s great to see Russia already unveiling giant in world football, with talent its host cities for the 2018 FIFA World developing as we speak and more just Cup.