Soccer Watch

Winning isn't (always) everything: Lionel Messi was named FIFA's world player of the year for the second straight year, though his teams fell short of reaching the finals in the world's two biggest tournaments – Argentina in the World Cup and Barcelona in the UEFA Champ­ions League. But Messi is so good and so fun to watch that his selection is a benediction in a sport where those values too often take a backseat to the cynicism of winning at all costs. The Spanish media were outraged on behalf of the two Spanish runners-up, Messi's Barca teammates Xavi and Andres Iniesta. But Xavi put it in perspective, saying Messi "is one step above us all. He's the best player, and there can be no argument."

Several American players are on the move in the January transfer window, with Edson Buddle, Jonathan Bornstein, and Robbie Findley all leaving MLS for Germany, Mexico, and England, respectively, and Clarence Goodson, Brad Guzan, and Oguchi Onyewu among several others transferring around Europe. Apart from that, there's not been a lot of drama thus far in the transfer market, which runs through the end of January. Meanwhile, the midwinter break is now over across most of the European leagues, and the second half of the season is under way.