Prinz reigns supreme
Monday, December 20, 2004
Article summary
The Germany striker Birgit Prinz has retained her FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award.
Article body
By Kevin Ashby
The Germany striker Birgit Prinz has retained her FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award, beating the recently-retired American star Mia Hamm and Brazilian sensation Marta into second and third place.
Dazzling performer
A record number of votes were cast, with 114 member associations taking part. With five points awarded for a first place nomination, three for second and one for third, the 27-year-old Prinz recorded 376 points, considerably more than Hamm's 286. Marta, the player of the tournament at the recent FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship and a dazzling performer for Umeå IK as they won the 2003/04 UEFA Women's Cup, tallied 281 points.
'Role model'
"Being in the leading trio three times in a row is a distinction in itself," said Prinz ahead of the ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland. "Coming first is not the most important thing, as I'm with two of the best players in the world. Mia is nothing less than a role model for women footballers, while Marta represents the future."
European success
Prinz's Germany team-mate Renate Lingor finished joint-eighth along with Sweden striker Victoria Svensson on 89 points, while Hanna Ljungberg's 109 points saw her voted the sixth best player in the world.
