Chapter 212: World footballer
The ceremony naturally began with a speech from FIFA President Blatter, which, after a lackluster address, transitioned to the announcement of the major awards.
Blatter, in his bid to enhance his influence, had specially instituted the FIFA President's Special Award, bestowed this year upon war-torn Iraq.
The Fair Play Award was conferred upon fans of the Scottish Celtic Football Club, owing to their composure during last year's League Cup final against Porto, despite Celtic's ultimate defeat.
The Annual Most Improved Team award was granted to Bahrain, a country slightly larger than Andorra and Singapore with a population of about 700,000 and only 5,000 registered players. Despite this, they made it to the 2004 Asian Cup finals, catapulting from 105th to 64th in FIFA rankings, a remarkable progress. Wang Feng paid particular attention to this nation as China, Indonesia, Qatar, and Bahrain were placed in the same group for the upcoming Asian Cup.
The Annual Best Team award predictably went to Brazil. Since winning the World Cup in 2002, Brazil's "Dream Team" had maintained its dominance, securing a stable record of 8 wins, 5 draws, and 4 losses in international competitions throughout the year.
The recipient of the FIFA Women's World Player award was Prinz from Germany, who triumphed over America's Hamm and Sweden's Wiberg. Her win was anticipated after her crucial role in Germany's victory at the recent Women's World Cup.
As the ceremony reached its climax, the atmosphere became tense, with millions of fans glued to their screens, eagerly anticipating the historic moment.
Wang Feng suddenly felt apprehensive. What if he didn't win? Despite his outstanding performance the previous year, FIFA might opt for Zidane, valuing reputation over merit.
Just like Neduvid, who, despite being in the top five for the Ballon d'Or, failed to make the top ten for the FIFA World Player award. Although Juventus had a poor performance the previous year, many believed FIFA discounted Eastern European influence.
How did they evaluate the influence of the Asian region? Wang Feng pondered, his palms sweaty with nervousness. He realized his competitive spirit was stronger than he had thought.
Blatter took the stage once more to announce the top three players of 2003: Zidane, Henry, and Wang Feng. As their highlight reels played on the screen behind him, Wang Feng's spectacular long-range goal against Real Madrid was featured.
Although everyone present had likely seen this goal before, it still sparked murmurs of awe. Zidane, standing beside Wang Feng, whispered, "You always score world-class goals. Remember your overhead kick?" Wang Feng replied softly, "Didn't you do the same in the Champions League final? Honestly, I think your goal was more elegant and crucial." Zidane shook his head in silence. It was Wang Feng's prior successes that emboldened him to attempt spectacular shots.
As the FIFA World Player trophy was brought onto the stage, everyone held their breath, awaiting the announcement. Wang Feng and Zidane grew restless. While the Frenchman had previously won the award, facing the title of the world's best player was still nerve-wracking.
"I am here on behalf of FIFA to solemnly announce that the 2003 FIFA World Player is Wang Feng!"
The eccentric pronunciation of the Chinese name echoed throughout the venue. Wang Feng instinctively sprang from his seat, fist clenched, expressing his excitement. The arena erupted into enthusiastic applause.
For most, the result was not surprising. Wang Feng's performance in the previous season was exceptional! Not only did he lead his club to five titles, but he also secured individual honors as the European Golden Boot and Champions League top scorer, an unprecedented achievement.
Moreover, his performance in Serie A remained stellar in the latter half of the year, with 21 goals in 12 matches, along with 7 goals in the Champions League, helping Inter Milan lift the Toyota Cup after many years.
A hint of disappointment flashed across Zidane's face, but he quickly stood up to embrace Wang Feng, congratulating him on becoming the new world number one. Henry was more magnanimous, knowing he would never have a chance.
As Wang Feng ascended the podium, the big screen displayed the voting results for the FIFA World Player. Wang Feng received 304 votes, with Zidane in second place with 166 votes, barely half of Wang Feng's tally.
Henry received 156 votes, ranking third, followed by Ronaldo with 148 votes, Carlos with 115 votes, Van Nistelrooy with 86 votes, Beckham with 74 votes, Raul with 39 votes, Maldini with 37 votes, and Shevchenko with 26 votes.
Taking the FIFA World Player trophy from Blatter, Wang Feng lifted it above his head, prompting another wave of applause and cheers throughout the venue.
The trophy was a semi-arched rectangular prism, entirely gold in color, with the longitude and latitude of the Earth depicted on the front. In the center of the cup was a crystal football, with Wang Feng's name and the year of his award engraved on the circular base, in both Chinese and English.
With absolute dominance and indisputable achievements, he claimed the highest honor for a professional footballer, ascending to the summit of the football world!
Suppressing his excitement, Wang Feng approached the microphone, took a deep breath, and attempted to begin his acceptance speech. But he momentarily forgot his opening lines, only managing a sheepish smile, prompting another thunderous round of applause from the audience, encouraging the young player.
"For me, this is a dream night."
"When I set foot in Europe four years ago, I never imagined achieving what I have today. Back then, I only aimed to become a professional footballer, to earn a living for my family, and to satisfy my passion for football."
"I hail from a small footballing nation, China. Perhaps I have some football talent, but the most crucial factor in success is hard work. Over these four years, I have never given up on training and effort."
"Weakness is no excuse. As long as you're willing to work hard, there will always be rewards!"
"I want to thank all the players at Inter Milan, thank you to coaches Cooper and Mancini. With their full support, I was able to achieve such outstanding statistics, and Inter Milan was able to regain its glory."
"I also want to thank Genk and Virton, thank you to coaches Mette and Antonis. Thanks to all those who have helped me grow and care for me, your support has been crucial for me to come this far."
"Finally, I want to thank my family and my girlfriend. They have been by my side at critical moments, and thinking of them gives me endless strength. Thank you!"
The venue erupted once again into enthusiastic applause. Everyone stood up spontaneously to applaud the new FIFA World Player. Most of them, to some extent, understood Wang Feng's dedication, making his words particularly profound at this moment.
Football, to some extent, is unfair. There are always players with exceptional talent, but without diligent training, these naturally gifted players will flicker across the football world and disappear.
However, there are also many players with average talent who, through diligent hard work, fully develop their bodies and potential, achieving feats that many geniuses cannot reach.
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