Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal insists that this year's
FIFA Ballon d'Or winner should not be Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo,
but should come from the victorious Germany side that won the 2014
World Cup in Brazil this summer.
Ronaldo and Messi are favourites for the prize -- having picked up
the last five between them; Messi picking up four and Ronaldo winning in
2013 -- but there are also the likes of Angel Di Maria, James Rodriguez
and Gareth Bale to consider.
However, German stars Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller, Manuel
Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Gotze are also all nominated on the 23-man FIFA shortlist, but Van Gaal insists that one should walk away with the prize.
"You always have to win something and the best thing to win is the
World Championship," Van Gaal told MUTV. "I hope it shall be a German
player because they deserve it.
"In Germany, the level of the matches in the Bundesliga is also very high."
Jimmy Ruffin, Motown singer who probably is mostly known for his song "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted", has passed away. He was 78. His children Philicia Ruffin and Jimmy Lee Ruffin, Jr. confirmed the singer passed away on Monday, November 17 at a Las Vegas hospital, but the cause of death has not been released.
"Jimmy Ruffin was a rare type of man who left his mark on the music
industry. My family in its entirety is extremely upset over his death.
He will truly be missed," read a statement from Ruffin's family. "We
will treasure the many fond and wonderful memories we all have of him."
Motown Records founder Berry Gordy has also released a statement after
learning of the sad news. "Jimmy Ruffin was a phenomenal singer. He was
truly underrated because we were also fortunate to have his brother,
David, as the lead singer of The Temptations,
who got so much acclaim. Jimmy, as a solo artist, had 'What Becomes of
the Brokenhearted', one of the greatest songs put out by Motown and also
one of my personal favorites," Gordy said.
"He was a wonderful human being, quiet and unassuming, who touched many lives with his music, not just here in the states,
but overseas, as well. Jimmy Ruffin will always be a part of the Motown
legacy, and I extend my sincere condolences to his family, friends and
fans," he added.
Ruffin was born in Collinsville, Mississippi in 1936. He worked with
Motown before being drafted into the army. He went back in 1964 and
later scored the hit "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" in 1966, which
peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's pop chart.
His other popular works included "I've Passed This Way Before", "Gonna
Give Her All the Love I've Got" and "Hold On (To My Love)" which was
produced by Bee Gees' Robin Gibb. He and his brother David Ruffin also collaborated on 1970's set "I Am My Brother's Keeper".
Chris Hemsworth
has been officially named PEOPLE magazine's Sexiest Man Alive of 2014.
Wearing a grey T-shirt, Chris graces the cover of the magazine which is
due out on Friday, November 21.
"I think you've bought me a couple of weeks of bragging rights around the house,"
Chris tells the magazine, "I can just say to [my wife], 'Now remember,
this is what the people think, so I don't need to do the dishes anymore,
I don't need to change nappies. I'm above that. I've made it now.' "
Chris also reveals that he prefers to sleep without pajamas, has a
signature dance move and would rather be home in Australia with his wife
and his three children, daughter India and twin sons Sasha and Tristan,
than anywhere else.
"We just had a big beach day with the kids, swimming and kicking the ball around," the "Thor" actor shares, "That was the first time in a long time we've done that. That's what it's all about."
Chris, who puts on 20 lbs. of muscle for his role as Thor, reveals he
looks forward to cheating on his diet and exercise. "Then it's pizza,
hamburgers, beer, sugary things," he says, "Everything I'm not allowed
to have!"
Jimmy Kimmel scored the big reveal of the PEOPLE Sexiest Man Alive on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
on Tuesday night, November 18. Prior to the announcement, Jimmy asked
his audience to ask question to Chris, whose face was still covered at
that time, via Skype before guessing who he was.
After the announcement, Jimmy asked Chris about his brother Liam Hemsworth. "He's been a real team player for this one," Chris said of Liam, "We've been throwing sexy looks back and forth all week."
Chris credited Matt Damon
with teaching him to be sexy. "I learned everything there is about
being sexy from Matt," he said, before thanking his predecessors, "Thank you Matt and all the other previous intelligent men."
As for other people he wanted to thank, Chris said, "My parents, I guess, for putting this together," while gesturing his body.
