Messi, who had already won the biggest individual accolade in world football on more occasions than anyone else, claimed it for the first time in three years after being part of a Barca side that secured five titles in 2015.
Advertisement
“It’s incredible that it’s my fifth. It’s much more than anything I’ve dreamed of as a kid”. “I think he along with Neymar and Messi have marked a milestone in football”. Both the bad and the good. “This has always been a dream of mine”. Since 2010, the award has been called “FIFA Ballon d’Or” after the FIFA World Player of the Year award (male) and France Football’s Ballon d’Or were merged.
According to The Whig, Messi also spearheaded Argentina’s journey to the Copa America final.
FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi of Argentina (C) holds the World Player of the Year award next to FIFA’s acting President Issa Hayatou (L) and former palyer Kaka during the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2015 ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, January 11, 2016. Messi and Ronaldo, 30, have hogged the Ballon d’Or between them since 2008.
Messi, 28, was voted the world’s fifth best player for the fifth time ahead of Ronaldo in second place and Barcelona’s Neymar in third.
Lloyd, of New Jersey, got more than 35 percent of votes made by national team captains and coaches, plus invited journalists, on a 10-player ballot.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique says Lionel Messi is capable of winning another Ballon d’Or.
But it was to be no clean sweep as Brazilian Wendell Lira surprisingly pipped Messi to the Puskas Award.
It was a stellar night for Barcelona and the World Cup-winning United States women’s team.
Advertisement
Messi’s current contract at Barcelona ends in 2018, when the Argentinian will be 31 years old.
