His form through 2008 resulted in him being named Fifa World PlayeroftheYear in January - only a month after he won the Ballon d'Or as theEuropeanPlayeroftheYear.
Ronaldinho, fancied to add theEuropean Footballer oftheYear to the World Player award he won last year, shone in the second half and capped his display with his superb double strike.
France Football, first published in 1946, organized the Ballon d'Or award for European footballer oftheyear until it was merged with FIFA's world playeroftheyear award in 2010.