For the fifth time in seven years, Barcelona and Argentine global striker Lionel Messi has won the FIFA Ballon D’Or for best soccer player.
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Although this award has become essentially a two horse race for the past seven years, some may still yet doubt the 28-year-old’s dominance at the top of the world football power structure.
Team-mate Lionel Messi secured his fifth Ballon d’Or with 41.33 per cent followed by Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo (27.76 per cent) and Neymar in third (7.86 per cent). Messi has lost out to Ronaldo for the last two years but the 48 goals he scored for Barcelona in 2015 allowed him to regain the title in a lavish ceremony in Zurich.
This one is from a time when we knew Leo was going to win. “Much more than anything I would have dreamed of as a kid”.
FIFA Fair Play Award was presented to all the football organisations and clubs around the world that are working to support refugees.
United States of America national team coach Jill Ellis won the female version of the Coach of The Year award. Ronaldo in the year under contention had 74 goals and assists in 57 games while Messi had 78 goals and assists in 61 games.
He had won four straight Ballon d’Or awards from 2009 to 2012.
Messi said, because it “is every player’s objective; it’s really the pinnacle”.
Messi voted for Neymar Jr., Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta, Ronaldo voted for Real Madrid team mates Karim Benzema ahead of James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale.
Lloyd said, “I’m very, very honored and humbled”, adding that she never could have won without the help of her “incredible teammates”.
Dooley picked out Messi as second in the world, while German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer rounded out his selection.
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In other awards USA’s Carli Lloyd capped a brilliant 2015 by taking home the award for women’s player of the year.
