Soccer

Lionel Messi wins Ballon d’Or ahead of Ronaldo and Neymar

Luis Enrique named Coach of the Year after leading Barcelona to the treble

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has been named as the winner of the 2015 Fifa Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in Zurich. Photo: Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has been named as the winner of the 2015 Fifa Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in Zurich. Photo: Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP
Mon Jan 11 2016 - 18:53

Barcelona's Lionel Messi has won the Fifa Ballon d'Or for the fifth time after beating Cristiano Ronaldo and team mate Neymar to the award in Zurich.

It is the fifth time since 2012 that the Argentinian has won the award and he takes the crown back from last year’s winner Ronaldo after scoring 52 goals and creating 26 assists during 2015.

Messi received 41.33 per cent of votes with Ronaldo second on 27.76 per cent and Neymar third with just under eight per cent.

After being presented the award by 2007 Ballon d’Or winner Kaka, Messi said: “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.

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“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 — without them none of this would be possible.

“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 grow and learn.”

And the awards didn’t stop there for the reigning European champions as manager Luis Enrique was named Coach of the Year after leading the team to the treble last season.

Enrique beat Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola and Jorge Sampaoli, coach of the Chile national team, to the award.

However, the Barcelona dominance was broken by the somewhat surprising selection, by public vote, of Wendell Lira for the Puskas Award.

Lira’s twisting overhead kick for Goianesia in the Brazilian Goiano earned his side a 2-1 win and completed a fabulous team goal.

The Brazilian’s strike received 1.6 million votes and beat off Lionel Messi’s mazy dribble and strike against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final last May, as well as Alessandro Florenzi’s long range lob for Roma against Messi’s Barcelona in the Champions League.

As for the Fifpro World XI, La Liga domination continued.

Eight of the 11 ply their trade in Spain with Manuel Neuer, Thiago Silva and Paul Pogba the only three players to buck that trend.

The team in full is: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich); Dani Alves (Barcelona), Thiago Silva (PSG), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Marcelo (Real Madrid); Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Paul Pogba (Juventus); Neymar (Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid).