Ballack, Michael, << BAHL lahk, MIHK ah ehl >> (1976-…), is a former professional German soccer player. Soccer is called football in many countries. Ballack was a midfielder known for his goal scoring skills and leadership qualities. For a discussion of soccer positions and formations, see Soccer (Players and officials) . Ballack led the German national team to the FIFA World Cup finals against Brazil in 2002. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Ballack was named the German Footballer of the Year in 2002, 2003, and 2005.
Ballack was born on Sept. 26, 1976, in Gorlitz in what was then East Germany. He played with the Chemnitzer FC youth squad in East Germany from 1990 to 1997. FC stands for football club. Ballack began competition with FC Kaiserslautern from 1997 to 1999. His international play began with the German national team in 1999. He played with Bayer Leverkusen from 1999 to 2002, when he joined Bayern Munich . After the 2005-2006 season, Ballack transferred to Chelsea FC in the English Premier League . He returned to Bayer Leverkusen, playing from 2010 to 2012, when he announced his retirement as a player.
