The speculations were right and right indeed – Lionel Messi won his 5th FIFA Ballon d’Or this evening in Zurich. Messi stood up to his reputation of being the best player in the world for the previous year, as he was the magic and momentum of Barca’s La Liga campaign, also helping his team win the UEFA Champions League and complete the treble by winning the Copa del Rey beating Athletic Bilbao in the final.
Messi surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, who were left second and third in the voting process.
Having been narrowly eclipsed by his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo in 2014, this was the year Lionel Messi bit back. Won almost every trophy going with a supreme Barcelona side and his own standards never slipped: his goals and assists tally would have been even higher but for an injury in the autumn.
The winner has been voted for by coaches, captains and sports journalists, who all looked to favour Lionel Messi.
After recieving the award, Messi declared:
“It is a very special moment for me to be back here on this stage, winning again another Ballon d’Or after being there in the audience watching Cristiano win. It’s incredible this is my fifth.
“It’s much more than anything I’ve dreamed of as a kid. I want to thank everyone who voted for me and I want to thank my team-mates.
“And lastly, I want to thank football in general for everything it has brought me. Both the bad and the good. Because it has made me learn and grow.”
It is the 5th FIFA Ballon d’Or award for Lionel Messi, as he looks forward to achieving and winning even more trophies in the future.
Full list of awards:
FIFA Ballon d’Or – Lionel Messi (Barcelona).
Women’s player of the year – Carli Lloyd (USA).
Men’s coach of the year – Luis Enrique (Barcelona).
Women’s coach of the year – Jill Ellis (USA).
Fifa/FifPro World XI – Neuer; Alves, Ramos, Thiago Silva, Marcelo; Iniesta, Modrić, Pogba; Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo.
Puskas award – Wendell Lira (Vila Nova).
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