FIFA Ballon d'Or award winner Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi poses with his trophy the FIFA Ballon d'Or. PHOTO: AFP
ZURICH: Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or for an unprecedented fourth time at a FIFA gala in Zurich on Monday.
The 25-year-old, who scored an all-time record 91 goals in the last calendar year, saw off Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta as he captured the award for the fourth straight year.
Messi was voted FIFA Player of the Year in 2009 before picking up the new-look award in 2010 and 2011 after it was fused with the Ballon d'Or award previously handed out by France Football magazine.
Brazilian striker Luis Ronaldo and Frenchman Zinedine Zidane both won the old FIFA award three times, although neither did so in successive years. On the other hand Michel Platini won the France Football award three times successively in the 1980s.
Spain's Vicente del Bosque was named coach of the year for 2012, seeing off competition from Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho and former Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola.
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No major trophy in whole season, failed to deliver on crucial time and still the WORLD BEST.. Baisness. Ronaldo and Mou deserve both awards. And See FIFA World XI is more looking like Barca And Real Madrid XI. Without Cole, Lahm, Thiago Silva/Hummel, Pirlo, Toure and Drogba/RVP world XI is just a JOKER XI....
Definitely the best ever. The biggest individual award, four times in a row to go with other plethora of awards and records. At what age, 25? This is a once in a generation talent, maybe century. By the time he's done with his career this question will no longer be a question. Some support from his teammates and he'll laso guide Argentina to a World Cup.