PARIS: Fabio Cannavaro, the Italian captain, won the Golden Ball award, the first defender in 10 years to be named Europe's best player.

Cannavaro, who played for Juventus last season but then moved to Real Madrid after helping Italy win the World Cup, got 173 points Monday in France Football magazine's annual poll of 52 journalists from around the world.

Gianluigi Buffon, the Italian goalkeeper, was second with 124 points, followed by Thierry Henry, a striker who played on the losing teams in the World Cup and Champions League finals, with 121. Fifty players were nominated.

"This is a double honor," Cannavaro said. "It is given to the best player, and the fact I am a defender makes it even more special."

Ronaldinho, the Barcelona and Brazil midfielder who won the award last year, was fourth with 73 points, and Zinédine Zidane. the French midfielder, was fifth with 71.

Cannavaro was only the third defender in 30 years to win the award- Matthias Sammer won in 1996 and Franz Beckenbauer in 1976.

He was also the fifth Italian to win, following Roberto Baggio (1993), Paolo Rossi (1982), Gianni Rivera (1969) and Argentina-born Omar Sivori (1961).

"I am the first to be surprised," Cannavaro, who moved to Real Madrid after the World Cup, said.

Cannavaro and Buffon, teammates last season at Juventus, were part of an Italian defense that conceded only two goals in the World Cup.

"The Italy team did not have a Zidane," Cannavaro said. "We didn't have one player who could win the match."

Cannavaro made his 100th international appearance in the final and was voted the World Cup's second-best player behind Zidane, who was sent off in the final, his last match before retirement. Buffon made a superb diving stop to keep out Zidane's header in extra time.

"Cannavaro as captain of a phenomenal group brings it back a bit for everybody," said Marcelo Lippi, the Italian coach at the World Cup.