Fabio Cannavaro
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Fabio Cannavaro is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Uzbekistan national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time.
Cannavaro in 2011
A 17-year-old Cannavaro trains with the Napoli youth side
Cannavaro (far left, in white) with Real Madrid against Barcelona
Cannavaro with Italy in 1998
Ballon d'Or
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The Ballon d'Or is an annual association football award presented by French magazine France Football since 1956 to honour the player judged to have performed the best over the previous season.
Fabio Cannavaro
…second-best player. He was named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, making him the only defender in history to have won the award. He also won the Ballon d'Or award in 2006 which made him the only defender to win the award in a decade and only the third of all time after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer…
The Ballon d'Or trophy
December 1956 issue of France Football magazine presenting the inaugural Ballon d'Or winner—Stanley Matthews.
Gianni Rivera hoisting the 1969 Ballon d'Or.
Lionel Messi has won a record eight Ballons d'Or across three different decades, and holds the record for most consecutive wins, with four between 2009 and 2012.