Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi has been awarded
the Ballon d'Or for a fourth year running.
Messi, 25, hit 91 goals during 2012 and beat club team-mate
Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid's Ronaldo to the trophy.
Despite his goals, the Catalan giants failed to win either
the Spanish league title or Champions League last year.
Abby Wambach won the women's award and Vicente del Bosque
the coach accolade, while the team of the year was made up only of players from
Spain's La Liga.
"Ronaldo and Iniesta would be fitting and worthy
winners in any era. This, however, is not any era - it is the Lionel Messi
era."
Messi was announced as the winner of the Ballon d'Or, the
award given to the world's best player, during a ceremony held in Zurich on
Monday.
He was part of a three-man shortlist
for the prize, which is voted for by journalists, and national
coaches and captains, alongside midfielder Iniesta and forward Ronaldo.
He becomes the first player to win four consecutive Ballons
d'Or, breaking the record he jointly held with former France international, and
current Uefa president, Michel Platini.
"To tell you the truth this is really quite
unbelievable," said the Argentine. "The fourth award that I have had
is just too great for words.
"I would like to recognise my other colleagues from
Barcelona. Andres, it has been great to train and play alongside you.
"I would also like to recognise all of my friends in
the Argentina national team, everyone that has worked with me, coaches and
staff and my family and my friends. Also my wife and my son. Thank you."
Messi - who polled 41.6% of the votes, with Ronaldo taking
23.68% and Iniesta 10.91% - was favourite to win after surpassing Germany
striker Gerd Mueller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year from 1972.
He netted 79 goals for Barcelona, plus another 12 for
Argentina, in 69 games for club and country.
Fifa world team of the year
- Iker
Casillas (Real Madrid)
- Dani
Alves (Barcelona)
- Gerard
Pique (Barcelona)
- Sergio
Ramos (Real Madrid)
- Marcelo
(Real Madrid)
- Andres
Iniesta (Barcelona)
- Xabi
Alonso (Real Madrid)
- Xavi
(Barcelona)
- Cristiano
Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
- Radamel
Falcao (Atletico Madrid)
- Lionel
Messi (Barcelona)
But Real Madrid clinched
the Primera Division with a nine-point winning margin over their
arch rivals, who were eliminated in the
Champions League semi-finals by eventual winners Chelsea.
Messi also featured in the team of the year,which
was made up of 10 players from Barca and Real Madrid plus Atletico Madrid
striker Radamel Falcao.
USA forward Wambach was named women's world
player of the year, the first American to win the award since Mia Hamm in 2002.
Del Bosque and Pia Sundhage collected
the men's and women's coaching gongs for their work with Spain and USA
respectively.
Real boss Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, who left Barca in
May to take a year's sabbatical from the game, finished behind Del Bosque.
At a news conference before the Ballon d'Or ceremony,
Guardiola confirmed he plans to return to management next season
The Spaniard, 41, stepped down after winning 14 trophies in
four years, including two Champions League crowns and three La Liga titles.
"I will return [next season] because I am young, but I
have been living the kind of life that I wanted and one that my family also
deserved," said Guardiola, who has relocated to New York with his wife and
children.
The Puskas Award for goal of the year went to Fenerbahce's
Slovakian striker Miroslav Stoch for his strike against
Genclerbirligi in March.
Franz Beckenbauer received the Fifa Presidential
Award and Uzbekistan won the fair play accolade for their disciplinary record.
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