vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Ballon d'Or
Pavel Nedvěd Juventus 190 2nd Thierry Henry Arsenal 128 3rd Paolo Maldini Milan 123 1st Andriy Shevchenko Milan 175 2nd Deco Barcelona 139 3rd Ronaldinho Barcelona 133 2005 1st Ronaldinho Barcelona 225 2nd Frank Lampard Chelsea 148 3rd Steven Gerrard Liverpool 142 2006 1st Fabio Cannavaro Real Madrid 173 2nd Gianluigi Buffon Juventus 124 3rd Thierry Henry Arsenal 121 2007 1st Kaká Milan 444 2nd Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United 277 3rd Lionel Messi Barcelona 255 2008 1st Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United 446 2nd Lionel Messi Barcelona 281 3rd Fernando Torres Liverpool 179 2009 1st Lionel Messi Barcelona 473 2nd Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 233 3rd Xavi Barcelona 170 FIFA Ballon d'Or ( 2010 -- 2015 ) 1st Lionel Messi Barcelona 22.65 % 2nd Andrés Iniesta Barcelona 17.36 % 3rd Xavi Barcelona 16.48 % 2011 1st Lionel Messi Barcelona 47.88 % 2nd Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 21.60 % 3rd Xavi Barcelona 9.23 % 2012 1st Lionel Messi Barcelona 41.60 % 2nd Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 23.68 % 3rd Andrés Iniesta Barcelona 10.91 % 2013 1st Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 27.99 % 2nd Lionel Messi Barcelona 24.72 % 3rd Franck Ribéry Bayern Munich 23.36 % 2014 1st Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 37.66 % 2nd Lionel Messi Barcelona 15.76 % 3rd Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich 15.72 % 2015 1st Lionel Messi Barcelona 41.33 % 2nd Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 27.76 % 3rd Neymar Barcelona 7.86 % Ballon d'Or ( 2016 -- present ) 2016 1st Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 745 2nd Lionel Messi Barcelona 316 3rd Antoine Griezmann Atlético Madrid 198 2017 1st Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 946 2nd Lionel Messi Barcelona 670 3rd Neymar Paris Saint - Germain 361
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Internationally , the country is especially famous for its professional basketball NBA and football players . Dikembe Mutombo is one of the best African basketball players to ever play the game . Mutombo is well known for humanitarian projects in his home country . Serge Ibaka , Bismack Biyombo , Christian Eyenga , and Emmanuel Mudiay are others who gained significant international attention in basketball . Several Congolese players and players of Congolese descent -- including strikers Romelu Lukaku , Yannick Bolasie , and Dieumerci Mbokani -- have gain prominence in world football . DR Congo has twice won the African Cup of Nations football tournament .
1998 FIFA World Cup Final
The match also saw speculation on the condition of the Brazilian striker Ronaldo , who suffered a convulsive fit on the eve of the match . After initially being left out of the team sheet , in spite of his physical state , it was announced just 72 minutes before kick - off that he was going to play . In the match , he sustained an injury in a clash with French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez . Although it was believed that the decision to play Ronaldo had backfired , it was understandable as the player had been a crucial member of the side throughout the tournament , having scored four goals and created three more .
England at the FIFA World Cup
Year Number ( Country ) Players ( Apps ) 1950 -- 1958 0 1962 1 ( Italy ) Gerry Hitchens ( 2 ) 1966 -- 1970 0 1982 1 ( West Germany ) Tony Woodcock ( 2 ) 1986 2 ( Italy ) Mark Hateley ( 3 ) , Ray Wilkins 1990 5 ( 4 in Scotland , 1 in France ) Terry Butcher ( 5 ) , Trevor Steven ( 3 ) , Gary Stevens ( 2 ) , Chris Woods ( 0 ) ; Chris Waddle ( 7 ) 1998 0 2002 1 ( Germany ) Owen Hargreaves ( 2 ) 2006 2 ( 1 Spain , 1 Germany ) David Beckham ( 5 ) ; Owen Hargreaves ( 4 ) 0 2014 1 ( Scotland ) Fraser Forster ( 0 ) 2018 0
Zinedine Zidane
2006 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball : 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year : Silver award 2006 UNFP Honorary Award : 2007 AFS Top - 100 Players of All Time : 2007 Marca Leyenda Award : 2008 Golden Foot Legends Award : 2008 ESPN Team of the Decade : 2009 ESPN Player of the Decade : 2009 Fox Sports Player of the Decade : 2009 Sports Illustrated Team of the Decade : 2009 Sports Illustrated Player of the Decade : 2009 Don Balón Team of the Decade : 2010 Don Balón Player of the Decade : 2010 Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award : 2011 UEFA team of teams : 2011 UEFA Champions League Best Player of the Past 20 Years : 2011 Équipe type spéciale 20 ans des trophées UNFP : 2011 Real Madrid Greatest XI of All Time : 2012 World Soccer Greatest XI of All Time : 2013 Real Madrid Hall of Fame : 2014 UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year ( substitute ) : 2015 IFFHS Legends : 2016 UEFA Euro All Time XI : 2016 FourFourTwo 's Selection of the 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time : 2017 Juventus Greatest XI of All Time : 2017 L'Équipe Best French Player of All Time : 2018 Manager ( edit ) Real Madrid La Liga : 2016 -- 17 Supercopa de España : 2017 UEFA Champions League : 2015 -- 16 , 2016 -- 17 , 2017 -- 18 UEFA Super Cup : 2016 , 2017 FIFA Club World Cup : 2016 , 2017 Individual La Liga Manager of the Month : April 2016 , May 2017 UEFA La Liga Team Revelation of the Year : 2015 -- 16 UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI : 2015 -- 16 IFFHS World 's Best Club Coach -- Runner - up : 2016 The Best FIFA Football Coach -- Runner - up : 2016 France Football French Manager of the Year : 2016 , 2017 Le Buteur Coach of the Year : 2016 UEFA La Liga Team of the Season : 2016 -- 17 France Football UEFA Champions League Team of the Season : 2016 -- 17 Onze d'Or Coach of the Year : 2016 -- 17 , 2017 -- 18 The Best FIFA Football Coach : 2017 ESPN Manager of the Year : 2017 IFFHS World 's Best Club Coach : 2017 IFFHS Men 's World Team : 2017 RMC French Manager of the Year : 2017 Globe Soccer Awards Best Coach of the Year : 2017 World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year : 2017
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo scored his first Champions League goal of the season , and his first since the final against Chelsea , in a 2 -- 0 victory over Inter Milan , sending United into the quarter - finals . His match - winning goal in the second leg against Porto , a 40 - yard strike , earned him the inaugural FIFA Puskás Award , presented by FIFA in recognition of the best goal of the year ; he later called it the best goal he had ever scored . He scored twice against Arsenal , including a free kick from 39 yards , as United advanced to the final in Rome , where he made little impact in United 's 2 -- 0 defeat to Barcelona . Ronaldo ended his time in England with nine trophies , as United claimed their third successive Premier League title and a Football League Cup . He finished the campaign with 26 goals in all competitions , 16 goals fewer than the previous season , in four more appearances . His final ever goal for Manchester United came on 10 May 2009 with a free kick in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford .
List of most expensive association football transfers
30,000 -- 943,332 13 1951 Jackie Sewell Notts County Sheffield Wednesday 07.8 ! 34,500 -- 994,474 15 1952 Hans Jeppson Atalanta Napoli 08 ! 52,000 -- 1,373,110 51 1954 Juan Schiaffino Peñarol Milan 09 ! 72,000 -- 1,809,071 38 1957 Enrique Omar Sivori River Plate Juventus 10 ! 93,000 -- 2,057,699 29 1961 Luis Suárez Barcelona Internazionale 11 ! 152,000 -- 3,105,049 63 1963 Angelo Sormani Mantova Roma 12 ! 250,000 -- 4,804,222 64 1967 Harald Nielsen Bologna Internazionale 12 ! 300,000 -- 4,997,098 20 1968 Pietro Anastasi Varese Juventus 13 ! 500,000 -- 7,957,866 67 1973 Johan Cruyff Ajax Barcelona 14 ! 922,000 -- 10,232,704 84 Giuseppe Savoldi Bologna Napoli 15 ! 1,200,000 -- 9,237,684 30 1976 Paolo Rossi Juventus Vicenza 16 ! 1,750,000 -- 11,559,097 46 1982 Diego Maradona Boca Juniors Barcelona 17 ! 3,000,000 -- 9,716,083 71 1984 Diego Maradona Barcelona Napoli 18 ! 5,000,000 -- 14,748,314 67 Ruud Gullit PSV Eindhoven Milan 19 ! 6,000,000 -- 15,488,011 20 1990 Roberto Baggio Fiorentina Juventus 21 ! 8,000,000 -- 16,686,521 33 1992 Jean - Pierre Papin Marseille Milan 22 ! 10,000,000 -- 18,991,397 25 1992 Gianluca Vialli Sampdoria Juventus 23 ! 12,000,000 -- 22,789,677 20 1992 Gianluigi Lentini Torino Milan 24 ! 13,000,000 -- 24,688,816 8 Ronaldo PSV Eindhoven Barcelona 26 !
England at the FIFA World Cup
G.A. Stevens 16 Reid 17 Steven 18 Hodge 19 Barnes 20 Beardsley 21 Dixon 22 Bailey Coach : R. Robson England squad -- 1990 FIFA World Cup fourth place 1 Shilton 2 Stevens 3 Pearce 4 Webb 5 Walker 6 Butcher 7 B. Robson ( c ) 8 Waddle 9 Beardsley 10 Lineker 11 Barnes 12 Parker 13 Woods 14 Wright 15 Dorigo 16 McMahon 17 Platt 18 Hodge 19 Gascoigne 20 Steven 21 Bull 22 Beasant Coach : R. Robson England squad -- 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Seaman 2 Campbell 3 Le Saux 4 Ince 5 Adams 6 Southgate 7 Beckham 8 Batty 9 Shearer ( c ) 10 Sheringham 11 McManaman 12 Neville 13 Martyn 14 Anderton 15 Merson 16 Scholes 17 Lee 18 Keown 19 L. Ferdinand 20 Owen 21 R. Ferdinand 22 Flowers Coach : Hoddle England squad -- 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Seaman 2 Mills 3 A. Cole 4 Sinclair 5 Ferdinand 6 Campbell 7 Beckham ( c ) 8 Scholes 9 Fowler 10 Owen 11 Heskey 12 Brown 13 Martyn 14 Bridge 15 Keown 16 Southgate 17 Sheringham 18 Hargreaves 19 J. Cole 20 Vassell 21 Butt 22 James 23 Dyer Coach : Eriksson England squad -- 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Robinson 2 Neville 3 A. Cole 4 Gerrard 5 Ferdinand 6 Terry 7 Beckham ( c
Zinedine Zidane
Before the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin , Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament . Having already announced he was to retire after the expiration of his Real Madrid contract at the end of the 2005 -- 06 season , the world of football already knew Zidane 's second World Cup final was to be the last match of his career . Seven minutes into the match Zidane put France ahead with a Panenka - style penalty kick which struck the crossbar and bounced just over the goal line to become only the fourth player in World Cup history to score in two different finals , along with Pelé , Paul Breitner , and Vavá , in addition to being tied for first place with Vavá , Pelé and Geoff Hurst with three World Cup final goals apiece . He almost scored a second goal during the first period of extra time but his header was saved by Italy 's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon . Zidane was then sent off in the 110th minute of the game after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest , so he did not participate in the penalty shootout which Italy won 5 -- 3 . Zidane 's actions made headlines all over the world , while in France Le Figaro called his head - butt `` odious , '' and the front page of L'Equipe asked , `` What should we tell our children , for whom you have become an example for ever ? ... How could that happen to a man like you ? '' ``
Eden Hazard
At Chelsea , Hazard matured into a world class player and was primarily utilised as a left midfielder . His development into one of the world 's best players was highlighted in the 2014 -- 15 Season ; during this season he won multiple awards and received praise from pundits and manager alike . Manager Jose Mourinho praised Hazard , saying that `` He is already a top player and his evolution has been fantastic . He is still very young and he can become the best player in the world . '' Hazard 's former teammate and Lille captain Rio Mavuba described Hazard as `` a great player , with an immense talent . He 's actually not that big , but he 's so fast . He 's also very difficult to dispossess and his finishing is top notch '' .
Basketball
The NBA has featured many famous players , including George Mikan , the first dominating `` big man '' ; ball - handling wizard Bob Cousy and defensive genius Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics ; charismatic center Wilt Chamberlain , who originally played for the barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters ; all - around stars Oscar Robertson and Jerry West ; more recent big men Kareem Abdul - Jabbar , Shaquille O'Neal , Hakeem Olajuwon and Karl Malone ; playmakers John Stockton , Isiah Thomas and Steve Nash ; crowd - pleasing forwards Julius Erving and Charles Barkley ; European stars Dirk Nowitzki , Pau Gasol and Tony Parker ; more recent superstars LeBron James , Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant ; and the three players who many credit with ushering the professional game to its highest level of popularity during the 1980s and 1990s : Larry Bird , Earvin `` Magic '' Johnson , and Michael Jordan .
Zinedine Zidane
18 Only manager in Real Madrid history to win four trophies in one season Only manager in Real Madrid history to win the UEFA Super Cup twice First manager to win two consecutive UEFA Super Cup titles since Arrigo Sacchi Quickest manager in the history of the Top 5 Leagues to win 7 titles with a single club : 19 months Quickest manager in the history of the Top 5 Leagues to win 8 titles with a single club : 23 months Quickest manager in history to be named FIFA Football Coach of the Year : 653 days Most The Best FIFA Football Coach awards : 2 in total Only person in history to win the Onze d'Or award as a player and as a manager Only person in history to win FIFA 's Player of the Year award and Coach of the Year award Only person in history to win the IFFHS award as the best playmaker and as a manager Only person in history to win the FIFA Club World Cup trophy successively as a manager Only manager in Real Madrid history to win five trophies in a calendar year Only person in history to win the Club World Cup / Intercontinental Title twice as a player and twice as a manager Only person in history to be named French Player of the Year twice and French Manager of the Year twice Highest score for a manager winning the IFFHS World 's Best Club Coach award : 326 points First manager to reach three consecutive UEFA Champions League finals since Marcello Lippi : 2015 -- 16 , 2016 -- 17 , 2017 -- 18 First manager to win three consecutive European Cup / UEFA Champions League finals : 2015 -- 16 , 2016 -- 17 , 2017 -- 18 Manager with most Champions League trophies : 3 ( shared with Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti )
Cristiano Ronaldo
One day after his 22nd birthday , Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly game against Brazil on 6 February 2007 , as requested by Portuguese Football Federation president Carlos Silva , who had died two days earlier . Ahead of Euro 2008 , he was given the number 7 shirt for the first time . While he scored eight goals in the qualification , the second - highest tally , he scored just one goal in the tournament , netting the second goal of their 3 -- 1 win in the group stage match against the Czech Republic , where he was named man of the match . Portugal were eliminated in the quarter - finals with a 3 -- 2 loss against eventual finalists Germany .
History of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
By 1964 , the `` Double '' side began to disintegrate due to age , injuries and transfers . Captain Danny Blanchflower hung up his boots that spring at the age of 38 , troubled by a knee injury , while Dave Mackay was sidelined for a long period with his leg broken twice -- the first occurred during Spurs ' defence of the Cup Winners ' Cup against Manchester United , resulting in the 10 - men Spurs being eliminated from the competition . The most tragic blow of them all , however , was the death of forward John White , who was killed by lightning on a golf course the summer of 1964 . Nicholson rebuilt a second team with new players , most of them imports , such as Alan Gilzean , Pat Jennings , Mike England , Alan Mullery , Terry Venables , Jimmy Robertson , Phil Beal , Joe Kinnear and Cyril Knowles . It culminated in a win at the 1967 FA Cup Final over Chelsea and a third - place finish in the league .
England at the FIFA World Cup
World Cup Goalscorer ( s ) 1950 Wilf Mannion , Stan Mortensen 1954 Nat Lofthouse ( 3 ) , Ivor Broadis ( 2 ) , Tom Finney , Jimmy Mullen , Dennis Wilshaw 1958 Derek Kevan ( 2 ) , Tom Finney , Johnny Haynes 1962 Ron Flowers ( 2 ) , Bobby Charlton , Jimmy Greaves , Gerry Hitchens 1966 Geoff Hurst ( 4 ) , Roger Hunt ( 3 ) , Bobby Charlton ( 3 ) , Martin Peters 1970 Allan Clarke , Geoff Hurst , Alan Mullery , Martin Peters 1982 Trevor Francis ( 2 ) , Bryan Robson ( 2 ) , Paul Mariner , Own Goal 1986 Gary Lineker ( 6 ) , Peter Beardsley 1990 Gary Lineker ( 4 ) , David Platt ( 3 ) , Mark Wright 1998 Michael Owen ( 2 ) , Alan Shearer ( 2 ) , Darren Anderton , David Beckham , Paul Scholes 2002 Michael Owen ( 2 ) , David Beckham , Sol Campbell , Rio Ferdinand , Emile Heskey 2006 Steven Gerrard ( 2 ) , David Beckham , Joe Cole , Peter Crouch , Own Goal Jermain Defoe , Steven Gerrard , Matthew Upson 2014 Wayne Rooney , Daniel Sturridge 2018 Harry Kane ( 6 ) , John Stones ( 2 ) , Jesse Lingard , Harry Maguire , Dele Alli , Kieran Trippier
List of Liverpool F.C. records and statistics
Top goalscorers for Liverpool F.C. No . Name Years League FA Cup League Cup Other Total Rush , Ian Ian Rush 1980 -- 1987 1988 -- 1996 229 ! 229 ( 469 ) 39 ! 39 ( 61 ) 48 ! 48 ( 78 ) 23 ! 23 ( 45 ) 346 ! 346 ( 660 ) Hunt , Roger Roger Hunt 1958 -- 1969 245 ! 245 ( 404 ) 18 ! 18 ( 44 ) 05 ! 5 ( 10 ) 18 ! 18 ( 34 ) 286 ! 286 ( 492 ) Hodgson , Gordon Gordon Hodgson 1925 -- 1936 233 ! 233 ( 358 ) 08 ! 8 ( 19 ) 00 ! 0 ( 0 ) 00 ! 0 ( 0 ) 241 ! 241 ( 377 ) Liddell , Billy Billy Liddell 1938 -- 1961 215 ! 215 ( 492 ) 13 ! 13 ( 42 ) 00 ! 0 ( 0 ) 00 ! 0 ( 0 ) 228 ! 228 ( 534 ) 5 Gerrard , Steven Steven Gerrard 1998 -- 2015 120 ( 503 ) 15 ! 15 ( 40 ) 9 ! 9 ( 28 ) 42 ! 42 ( 132 ) 186 ! 186 ( 710 ) 6 Fowler , Robbie Robbie Fowler 1993 -- 2001 2006 -- 2007 128 ! 128 ( 266 ) 12 ! 12 ( 24 ) 29 ! 29 ( 35 ) 14 ! 14 ( 44 ) 183 ! 183 ( 369 ) 7 Dalglish , Kenny Kenny Dalglish 1977 -- 1990 118 ! 118 ( 355 ) 13 ! 13 ( 37 ) 27 ! 27 ( 59 ) 12 ! 12 ( 58 ) 172 ! 172 ( 515 ) 8 Owen , Michael Michael Owen 1996 -- 2004 118 ! 118 ( 216 ) 08 ! 8 ( 15 ) 09 ! 9 ( 14 ) 23 ! 23 ( 52 ) 158 ! 158 ( 297 ) 9 Chambers , Harry Harry Chambers 1915 -- 1928 135 ! 135 ( 315 ) 16 ! 16 ( 28 ) 00 ! 0 ( 0 ) 00 ! 0 ( 1 ) 151 ! 151 ( 339 ) 10 Parkinson , Jack Jack Parkinson 1903 -- 1914 125 ! 125 ( 200 ) 05 ! 5 ( 19 ) 00 ! 0 ( 0 ) 00 ! 0 ( 1 ) 130 ! 130 ( 220 )
List of most expensive association football transfers
Top 50 transfers hide Player From To Position Fee ( M £ ) Fee ( M € ) Year Year of birth Ref . Neymar Barcelona Paris Saint - Germain Forward £ 198 € 222 2017 1992 Kylian Mbappé Monaco Paris Saint - Germain Forward £ 128 € 145 2018 1998 Philippe Coutinho Liverpool Barcelona Midfielder £ 105 € 120 2018 1992 Dembele , Ousmane Ousmane Dembélé Borussia Dortmund Barcelona Forward £ 97 € 105 2017 1997 Pogba , Paul Paul Pogba Juventus Manchester United Midfielder £ 89 € 105 2016 1993 6 Bale , Gareth Gareth Bale Tottenham Hotspur Real Madrid Forward £ 86 € 100 2013 1989 7 Ronaldo , Cristiano Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United Real Madrid Forward £ 80 € 94 2009 1985 8 Higuaín , Gonzalo Gonzalo Higuaín Napoli Juventus Striker £ 75.3 € 90 2016 9 Lukaku , Romelu Romelu Lukaku Everton Manchester United Striker £ 75 € 85 2017 1993 10 van Dijk , Virgil Virgil van Dijk Southampton Liverpool Defender £ 75 € 84.5 2018 1991 11 Suárez , Luis Luis Suárez Liverpool Barcelona Striker £ 75 € 82.3 2014 12 Zidane , Zinedine Zinedine Zidane Juventus Real Madrid Midfielder £ 46.6 € 77.5 2001 1972 13 Rodríguez , James James Rodríguez Monaco Real Madrid Midfielder £ 63 €
Football player
Jean - Pierre Papin has described football as a `` universal language '' . Footballers across the world and at almost any level may regularly attract large crowds of spectators , and players are the focal points of widespread social phenomena such as association football culture .
Cristiano Ronaldo
Forbes has twice ranked Ronaldo first on their list of the world 's highest - paid football players ; his combined income from salaries , bonuses and non-football earnings was $73 million in 2013 -- 14 and $79 million in 2014 -- 15 . The latter earnings saw him listed behind only boxer Floyd Mayweather , Jr. on the magazine 's list of The World 's Highest - Paid Athletes . In 2016 , he became the first footballer to top the Forbes list of highest - earning athletes , with a total income of $88 million from his salary and endorsements in 2015 -- 16 . He topped the list for the second straight year with earnings of $93 million in 2016 -- 17 . Ronaldo is one of the world 's most marketable athletes : SportsPro rated him the fifth most marketable athlete in 2012 , and eighth most marketable athlete in 2013 , with Brazilian footballer Neymar topping both lists . Sports market research company Repucom named Ronaldo the most marketable and most recognised football player in the world in May 2014 . He was additionally named in the 2014 Time 100 , Time 's annual list of the most influential people in the world . ESPN named Ronaldo the world 's most famous athlete in 2016 and 2017 .
2018 FIFA World Cup
Croatia 1 -- 1 ( a.e.t. ) Denmark Mandžukić 4 ' Report M. Jørgensen 1 ' Penalties Badelj Kramarić Modrić Pivarić Rakitić 3 -- 2 Eriksen Kjær Krohn - Dehli Schöne N. Jørgensen Nizhny
History of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Gross was sacked just three games into the 1998 -- 99 season , and George Graham was soon hired to take over . Graham signed Steffen Freund , who would become a fans ' favourite . Fans however were critical of Graham with his association with Arsenal , as well as his defensive style of football , especially when Arsene Wenger was starting to achieve major success with Arsenal with an attacking football style previously associated with Spurs . Nevertheless , in Graham 's first season as Spurs manager , 1998 -- 99 , the club secured a mid-table finish and won the League Cup . In the final against Leicester City at Wembley Stadium , full - back Justin Edinburgh was sent off after an altercation with Robbie Savage , but the ten - men Spurs secured a dramatic victory through Allan Nielsen 's diving header in the 93rd minute of the game . To cap a good season , star player David Ginola won both the PFA Players ' Player of the Year and Football Writers ' Association Footballer of the Year awards in the year that Manchester United won the Treble .
List of most expensive association football transfers
Forward £ 46.5 € 53 2017 1991 39 Buffon , Gianluigi Gianluigi Buffon Parma Juventus Goalkeeper £ 33 € 52 2001 1978 40 Martial , Anthony Anthony Martial Monaco Manchester United Forward £ 36 € 51 2015 1995 41 Sigurðsson , Gylfi Gylfi Sigurðsson Swansea City Everton Midfielder £ 45 € 50 2017 1989 Ozil , Mesut Mesut Özil Real Madrid Arsenal Midfielder £ 42.5 € 50 2013 1988 43 Silva , Bernardo Bernardo Silva Monaco Manchester City Midfielder £ 43 € 49.5 2017 1994 Teixeira , Alex Alex Teixeira Shakhtar Donetsk Jiangsu Suning Midfielder £ 42.5 € 49.5 2016 1988 45 Vieri , Christian Christian Vieri Lazio Internazionale Striker £ 32 € 49 1999 1973 46 Mendieta , Gaizka Gaizka Mendieta Valencia Lazio Midfielder £ 31 € 48 2001 1972 47 Ferdinand , Rio Rio Ferdinand Leeds United Manchester United Defender £ 30 € 47 2002 1978 48 Benteke , Christian Christian Benteke Aston Villa Liverpool Striker £ 32.5 € 46.3 2015 1990 49 Mata , Juan Juan Mata Chelsea Manchester United Midfielder £ 37.1 € 46 2014 1988 Ronaldo Internazionale Real Madrid Striker £ 29 € 46 2002 1976
Eden Hazard
On 28 April , for the third consecutive season , Hazard was nominated for the UNFP Player of the Year award . Two weeks later , he was awarded the prestigious honour ahead of the likes of Olivier Giroud and Younès Belhanda . After capturing the award , Hazard became the second player in the awards ' history after former Paris Saint - Germain striker Pauleta to achieve the honour in consecutive seasons . He was also included in the Team of the Year for the third straight season . On 20 May , Hazard appeared in his final match as a Lille player , coincidentally , against Nancy , the club he made his professional debut against . In the match , Hazard recorded his first professional hat - trick in a 4 -- 1 win .
2018 FIFA World Cup
2018 FIFA World Cup Чемпионат мира по футболу FIFA 2018 Chempionat mira po futbolu FIFA 2018 2018 FIFA World Cup official logo Tournament details Host country Russia Dates 14 June -- 15 July Teams 32 ( from 5 confederations ) Venue ( s ) 12 ( in 11 host cities ) Final positions Champions France ( 2nd title ) Runners - up Croatia Third place Belgium Fourth place England Tournament statistics Matches played 64 Goals scored 169 ( 2.64 per match ) Attendance 3,031,768 ( 47,371 per match ) Top scorer ( s ) Harry Kane ( 6 goals ) Best player Luka Modrić Best young player Kylian Mbappé Best goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois Fair play award Spain ← 2014 2022 →