Ronaldinho voted South America’s best

Former PSG, Barcelona and Milan player ROnalidinho has been crowned the South American footballer of the year in the annual poll conducted by the Uruguyan daily EL Pais.

The Atletico Mineiro player finished ahead of fellow Brazilian Neymar, winner of the previous two years while former Liverpool and Athletico Madrid player Maxi Rodriguez completed the top three.

33-year-old Ronaldinho, now in his final years of footballer, helped Atletico Mineiro win the Libertadores Cup for the first time in July. However, despite scoring in the semi-final, Ronaldinho's team bowed to an early exit at the recent Club World Cup, succumbing to a surprise loss to Raja Casablanca.

A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, Ronaldinho won the Champions League in 2006 and also won Europe's Ballon d'Or in 2005 and FIFA's World Player of the Year award in 2004 and 2005 when he was at Barcelona.

However, despite the award, it is unlikely that Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari  picks Ronaldinho for this summer's World Cup finals in his native Brazil.

Meanwhile, the annual poll also saw Argentinian coach Jose Pekerman winning the award for the second year in a row after steering Colombia to their first World Cup finals since 1998.

Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli was runner-up while Gerardo Martino, who left Newell's for Barcelona in July, finished third.