Argentina's Lionel Messi, one of the nominees for the FIFA Men's World Soccer Player of the Year Award,attends a press conference at the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2013 held at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland, on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Keystone/Walter Bieri)
January 07, 2013 - 11:09 AM
ZURICH - Lionel Messi has won the FIFA Ballon d'Or award for his astonishing 91-goal year for Barcelona and Argentina in 2012.
Aged just 25, Messi has now been voted the world's best player for an unprecedented fourth straight year.
Messi beat his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo of Spanish champion Real Madrid and Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta, who starred as Spain won the 2012 European Championship.
Messi's fourth award lifted him above three-time FIFA winners Zinedine Zidane of France and Brazil's Ronaldo. The old Ballon d'Or trophy for players in Europe was won three times by France great Michel Platini, and Netherlands forwards Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten.
Voting was by national team coaches and captains around the world plus invited media.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013