JOHANNESBURG, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Following is backgrounder on the 2006 World Cup soccer finals:
Winner: Italy
Runners-Up: France
Third: Germany
Fourth: Portugal
Golden Ball: Zinedine Zidane (France)
Golden Shoe: Miroslav Klose (Germany)
Yashin Award for the Best Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)
Best Young Player Award: Lukas Podolski (Germany)
FIFA Fair Play award: Spain, Brazil
FIFA Award for the Most Entertaining Team: Portugal
Italy won their fourth world crown in Germany, beating France on penalties in Berlin. If Zinedine Zidane's red card was the final's defining image, Italy's triumph would be remembered as a team effort with ten different Azzurri players finding the net. It was also a special month for Germany, the goals of Miroslav Klose helping secure third place in a tournament memorable for the festival mood across the host country.
