Lukas Podolski Named Best Young Player at 2006 World Cup
Germany’s Lukas Podolski will not have a chance to lift the World Cup trophy on Sunday, but he does come away from the tournament with some hardware for his trophy case. The German forward has been named the Best Young Player at the World Cup. This is the first year the award has been handed out and it goes to”the player born on or after January 1 1985, who makes the biggest impression at the FIFA World Cup, with the criteria for the award including style, charisma, fair play and appetite for the game, as well as pure technical skill.”
Podolksi scored three goals for Germany, but I was not super impressed with his performance. He disappeared for large portions of the games and he was unable to create much for himself. He did show flashes of talent and I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes to have a great World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
I am a bit surprised that Cristiano Ronaldo did not receive the award. The Portugal midfielder has been a polarisizing figure this competition but he also had a better overall tournament than Podolski did in my opinion. Plus the award is sponsored by Gillette and Ronaldo does have the most cleanly shaven legs of any player in the World Cup.
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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 71 comments.
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By malta | July 8th, 2006 at 1:31 am 
Top 3 suffered fouls:
Figo 23, Luca 23, C.Ronaldo 21:
According to FIFA referees this was WC’s biggest competition on taken down creative players when we cannot play by the rules…
Posted from 
Portugal
By Ben | July 8th, 2006 at 1:43 am I think you’ll find that most of those fouls were given incorrectly because they dived.
Like I said - top 3 divers.
There should be a clampdown on diving because nobody wants to see cheating. I’d rather lose than cheat.
Posted from 
United Kingdom
By malta | July 8th, 2006 at 1:53 am Of course. They dived. The referees’re really stupid…
By the way, Joe Cole was the fourth on that list. He suffered 18 fouls. Like Figo and C.Ronaldo he dived most of them I supposed or with Cole the referees didnt make mistakes? 
did you ever played football? Is it so easy to stay on your foot when a big catterpilar like Rooney comes to you? Specially when you’re a speedy player like C.Ronaldo. I mean the referees must be really stupid.
Posted from Portugal
By Ben | July 8th, 2006 at 2:02 am Why would I care about Joe Cole. I’m French.
This tournament has seen the highest number of yellow and red cards ever and most of them have been riddiculous. We have also seen many instances of players conning referess into giving fouls or booking players and asking for other player to be yellow carded sent off.
We see far to many dives and not enough football which is why we have so many cards and high statstic for fouls. This is the kind of disgusting play we need to ban. Players should be booked for asking for another player to be booked and sent off for diving. Then we would see less.
Posted from United Kingdom
By Sylvia | July 8th, 2006 at 2:09 am Did you notice that Gillette is the biggest word on the trophy? Disgusting. If the trophy is a keeper Podolski should have the sponsor’s name, uh, shaved off.
Posted from 
Canada
By malta | July 8th, 2006 at 2:33 am Yeah Ben, should be like volleyball… or golf… but I agree, to much arguing on the pitch, to less football. Its’ FIFA 21st century football. We need new rules maybe to protect creative football and avoid hard defensive tactics. Have to say that forgot last match I was really enthusiastic about the players skills and the overall game… remember Brazil 1982 dream team, Zico, Socrates, Falcão…
Posted from Portugal
By Bob | July 8th, 2006 at 2:55 am Ronaldo didnt get it just because… hes a retard.
Posted from Canada
By FootyFan | July 8th, 2006 at 5:36 am well I am extremely dissapointed with this WC to be honest. The spirit of the game lays in ruins! nowdays alot of the teams will do anything to win rather than supply the countless fans around the world with top class football, don’t get me wrong the atmosphere is still great but not as good as past world cups as I have heard so many controversial stories etc…
The cheating and diving will have to be sorted even if the replays are watched after the game by referees, then they can have solid ground of disaplinary action.
just one more sentence from me… Honour In Defeat Is Greater than Victory in Deceit!
I hope by WC 2010 we will have fair entertaining games again!
Posted from 
Australia
By justapointofview | July 8th, 2006 at 5:38 am FIFA are corrupt…..the refs are all open to bribes its so obvious now!
sort it out FIFA!
Posted from Australia
By DJ | July 8th, 2006 at 6:20 am Hm. I’m pretty neutral on this whole thing but I have to say Podolski did have a couple good dives and harsh tackles against Italy. I was pulling for Messi, but I guess lack of playing time was the factor there.
Posted from Canada
By Jeffrey | July 8th, 2006 at 6:40 am Podolski won because he is from Germany. They have to give the host something.
Posted from 
United States
By DJ | July 8th, 2006 at 6:42 am Oh, and football-fan? Congratulations on a spectacularly racist comment.
Posted from Canada
By Tim | July 8th, 2006 at 6:44 am I couldn’t agree with some guys above more.Good thing they didn’t pick C.Ronaldo. Just look at his facial expression and behavior after he failed to score, pretty dreadful.Podolski got the Best Young Player prize in 2006 WC,that’s fabulous indeed. His talent,determination and courage deserve that prize.
Posted from 
China
By Jeffrey | July 8th, 2006 at 6:46 am Talk about sour loser. If that’s not cheating. What is?
…and I’m refering to the conspiracy by the Englishmen overthrowing Ronaldo to be the Best Young player in this World Cup.
Posted from United States
By thomas | July 8th, 2006 at 9:26 am Thats the best choice by FIFA
By sue | July 9th, 2006 at 8:01 am i think the obvious reason why ronaldo wasnt chosen its becuz of his bad behaviour during the tournament.there was the rooney controversey,then the winking at the benches after that,and his faking injuries.so yeah.poldi definitely deserves it
Posted from 
Malaysia
By Su Lin | July 10th, 2006 at 11:06 am Podolski(Prinz Poldi) is the best. and he’s a future star. i’m sure he is the one who will kiss the world cup trophy in 2010. only has to wait for 4 years .
Posted from 
Myanmar
By Mira Loutfi | July 10th, 2006 at 12:19 pm I think you are right about Christiano Ronaldo, he is an amaizing player but I contradict you about about the trophy because the difference between him and podolsky is the fact that he played a one man show and lost a lot of chances due to this, on the other hand podolsky was a great assist especially with Miroslave Klose. So not only did he show personal skills, he also showed better presence in the team. Therefore he does deserve the trophy.
And by the way it is Gillette for men we are talking about and not for women so who cares about leg shaving?
Posted from 
Lebanon
By Mira | July 10th, 2006 at 12:32 pm By the way you guys are not objective, if your country is playing doesn’t mean the players are the best. My country isn’t playing and maybe it is he last country in football, but at least I see the game from a different perspective. Figo, C.Ronaldo, Klose, Podolsky, Nedved, Buffon, T. Henry, Cameronezi, ….. there are just too many Good players and surprisingly they belong to different countries. So Podolsky was elected and that’s it. He is the mannnn
Posted from Lebanon
By melanie | July 11th, 2006 at 12:07 am i think what justapointofview said is tru bc they gave a few fouls to something that didnt even happen. but im happy for podolski getting the best young player of 2006. i think he really diserved it. and im not just sayin this bc i like him.
Posted from United States
By Gloria | July 11th, 2006 at 3:34 pm Hello, I think Podolski is very young and best player. I like his technic and I see he is enjoy every game. Well, he is differnt with christiano ronaldo. He is emotional and because of that he got trouble with Rooney
Posted from 
Hong Kong
By grace11 | July 11th, 2006 at 7:12 pm I think that Podolski deserved this award. Although I do agree that he did not really stand out after the quarter-finals, I think he played really well at the initial stages. He really shone when he scored the goals in the quarter-finals. It’s a great start to his footballing career, and he definately has the potential to be a fabulous footballer.Perhaps, in time to come, you might just agree.
I do agree on Christiano Ronaldo playing well. I did not really like him as first as I thought he was really conceited and stuff. But I must say I’m really impressed when he played in the match Portugal vs France. Although many people booed him ridiculously every time he gains posession, he still kept up the fighting spirit and played beautifully.I definately applaud him for the courage and faith he showed.
I think many nominated young players have all worked hard and tried their best, so it must have been quite difficult to choose among these elite.
Overall, though, Podolski was a great choice- certainly he proves o be a source of inspiration for many. Congrats Podolski! You rock.
By Nakita | July 18th, 2006 at 5:48 am I am so glad tha Lukas Podolski won the award. He showed great talent and skill on the field during the tournament, i hope he keeps goign with his professional career
Posted from United States
By Kahntender | July 19th, 2006 at 6:42 pm Podoloski won because he had more goals than Ronaldo, more playing time, no cards and was more sportsmen-like.
Ronaldo lost the award because he hot dogs around the field with ultimately nothing coming of it, played less time and was a complete dink to his club teamate Rooney.
PS - For thos who don’t know who Podoloski is, keep in mind there are “soccer” leagues outside MLS.
By ashna from iraq | May 27th, 2007 at 12:20 pm podolski is the best
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