PARIS // The Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of Barcelona are the front-runners to win this year's Golden Ball, awarded by France Football magazine to Europe's top player.
Ronaldo finished runner-up to the AC Milan midfielder Kaka last year, while the Argentina international Messi was third.
Kaka was again among the 30 nominees released today by the magazine, but does not believe he will win the Ballon d'or this time around.
"I am realistic. This one won't be for me. It's a shame, but it's logical," the mercurial Brazilian said. "AC Milan did not have a good season."
Kaka is tipping Ronaldo to replace him as Europe's most prized player.
"My favourite is Cristiano Ronaldo," Kaka said. "He won two major titles with Manchester [Premier League and Champions League], and he scored a lot of goals."
Ronaldo, 23, scored 42 goals in all competitions last term as the United winger swept all before them in their domestic league and in Europe's premier competition.
The Barca forward Messi, 21, has also been in eye-catching form for the Catalunya club, scoring several breathtaking individual goals and also helping Argentina beat Nigeria 1-0 to win the Olympic gold medal in Beijing in August.
"He is the kind of player I really like," Kaka said. "Like Cristiano Ronaldo, he dribbles, he scores. Messi often does it all on his own."
Liverpool's Fernando Torres is also among the nominees after helping Spain win Euro 2008, grabbing the only goal in the final against Germany.
Torres also scored 24 league goals in his debut season with the Reds. Karim Benzema of French side Lyon, one of only two French nominees along with the Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery, told France Football that Torres would get his vote. "He scores goal after goal," he said.
*AP
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Results
Final: Iran beat Spain 6-3.
Play-off 3rd: UAE beat Russia 2-1 (in extra time).
Play-off 5th: Japan beat Egypt 7-2.
Play-off 7th: Italy beat Mexico 3-2.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
