Messi FIFA World Player of the Year 2009
Lionel Messi has been named FIFA World Player of the Year at FIFA's star-studded event in Zurich. The Barcelona and Argentina star scooped the award at the third time of being nominationed and became the first-ever Argentinian to be named FIFA World Player of the Year.
It's been an amazing year for the superstar, with trophies and accolades being bestowed upon him and his team. For Barcelona, Messi has already won three national league titles, one Copa del Rey, one European SuperCup, three Spanish SuperCups, two UEFA Champions League titles (scoring in last years showpiece final) and now the FIFA Club World Cup. Messi played an integral role as Barcelona won their first FIFA Club World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final against Estudiantes and being named winner of the adidas Golden Ball as the best player in the competition.
On recieving the award, Messi said: "It is beautiful to have the recognition of your colleagues from other national team. A magnificent year for me and Barca has ended in the best way"
He beat off competition from last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo, team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta and La Liga debutant Kaka. The vote was made by captains and head coaches of the men's and women's national teams, which saw Messi recieve 1,073 votes, Ronaldo 352, Xavi 196, Kaka 190 and Iniesta 134. Any arguments over who is the best player in the world are surely now redundant, with Messi beating his La Liga compatriot Ronaldo to a second accolade in a little over a month. Messi had also picked up European Footballer of the Year award by a massive margin - 473 points to 233!
No wonder then that adidas offer the Argentina star his own version of the F50i boot series (despite him being featured in the Macaw Green colourway above!) seeing as he so generously kissed his boots after scoring in the Champions League Final!
Buy Messi Football Boots
Also on show at the event was a new award, the FIFA PuskÁs Award for the most outstanding Goal of 2009. Presented by Elisabeth Puskas, the wife of the late Hungarian legend, and former AC Milan star George Weah, it will be no surprise to learn the award went to Real Madrid s Portuguese idol Cristiano Ronaldo for his strike against Porto for then club Manchester United in last season s UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie.
