After witnessing Manchester United defeat against Blackburn Rovers for our New Year's Eve match, I would touch on another significant matter to the football world, the opening of the transfer window....
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By Chris Wright

This lo-res candid photo is doing the rounds today after being released into the wild by Barcelona's official club photographer, one Miguel Ruiz.

It shows a distraught Lionel Messi, alongside the void Andres Iniesta and the thoroughly knackered Javier Mascherano, struggling to stave off the waterworks after Barca's last-minute 1-0 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in last year's Copa Del Rey final (e.

The debate whether or not he's the greatest ever may never be resolved, but he is certainly well on his way to being the most decorated. The gentleman from Rosario won his third consecutive Ballon d'Or at the ripe old age of 24.

And he did it showing up in purple velvet.

As if Lionel Messi needed any more evidence to prove that he is greatest player in the world.

Messi captured the Ballon d'Or for the third consecutive year, beating out Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi to add yet another item to his trophy case. The 24-year-old Barcelona maestro received 47.

Lionel Messi was voted World Player of the Year for the third year in a row with Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi a distant second and third respectively. Barcelona's Pep Guardiola won the manager of the year awrd having guided Barcelona to a unique double of La Liga and Champions League titles, Sir Alex ferguson who received an award for services to football was second and Jose Mourinho third in the Manager's list.

Las clasificaciones siempre van a dar de que hablar, generan polemica, hasta las que hace la FIFA.
Por eso aquí están los 11 mejores jugadores del año según el máximo mandato en el futbol mundial. Fueron anunciados en la gala del dia de hoy.
Los futbolistas del Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso e Iker Casillas, no viajaron a Zúrich porque mañana enfrentan al Málaga por la Copa del Rey.

Lionel Messi won the FIFA Balon d'OR for the second consecutive time after the inception of the award last year. With this victory he has won the FIFA World Player of Year and Balon d'Or for the third consecutive time. It was a no btainer from the time the three man shortlist was announced.

Iker Casillas
Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Nemanja Vidic, Dani Alves
Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi.

"Rooney and Vida In FIFA World XI" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.

By Chris Wright

Athletic Bilbao tonked third-tier side Albacete (bit of trivia: Andres Iniesta is the club's majority shareholder) 4-0 in the Copa del Rey at the San Mames last night, with the third goal of the night being scored by forward Gaizka Toquero a man who, to quote Wikipedia, is 'blessed with few technical skills but is a tremendous hard-worker'.

Real Madrid need a late winner from Jose Callejon to beat Real Mallorca and ensure they continued with their amazing streak that has seen them win 3 fixtures since their infamous 3-1 home loss to Barcelona.

Madrid do not seem like letting go of the top spot at least for now and though their arch rivals Barca are yet to play, a win for the Catalans will only bring them to within 5 points of Madrid.

Real Madrid need a late winner from Jose Callejon to beat Real Mallorca and ensure they continued with their amazing streak that has seen them win 3 fixtures since their infamous 3-1 home loss to Barcelona.

Madrid do not seem like letting go of the top spot at least for now and though their arch rivals Barca are yet to play, a win for the Catalans will only bring them to within 5 points of Madrid.

It's been an incredible eighteen months for Gareth Bale and a period that has ended with our Welsh left winger being named as the only British player in UEFA's team of 2011.

Bale took his place among the likes of Barcelona's Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi as well as Real Madrid's Cristinao Ronaldo, Iker Casillas and Marcelo.

Barcelona's Copa del Rey semi-finals win against Real Madrid has been tempered by a growing injury list that will make their clash against Villarreal on Saturday harder.

Andres Iniesta and Alexis Sanchez both limped off in last night's 2-2 draw, which secured a 4-3 aggregate win.

That means Barca will head to El Madrigal missing six players in total, as David Villa, Ibrahim Afellay and Andreu Fontas are already injured, while Seydou Keita is at the African Nations Cup.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

All American eyes Friday are on Goodison Park, where Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey do battle in Everton and Fulham's FA Cup match, but there's another game in Europe that is of importance to Americans abroad as well.

Timmy Chandler's FC Nurnberg and Steve Cherundolo's Hannover 96 are slated to go up against one another in a Bundesliga match that should be featuring the present and future of U.

Awards are for the vain folk that feel the need to be rewarded for greatness. An award, usually a piece of precious metal, is handed to an individual, usually a sentient homo sapiens, based on that individual's contributions to a particular endeavor. Subjectivity underlines the entire process. Humans clasp at the material to the detriment of the abstract.