Argentina and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, still only 25 years of age, won the World Player of the Year award for an unprecedented fourth year running on Monday. The award came after a year in which the Barcelona player scored a record-breaking 91 goals for club and country.
Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo was second in the 2012 FIFA Ballon d’Or award and Messi’s Barcelona team mate Andres Iniesta was third. Messi received a vote share of 41.60 percent to 23.68 for Ronaldo and 10.91 for Iniesta.
Brazilian Ronaldo and Frenchman Zinedine Zidane both won the old FIFA award three times, although neither did so in successive years, while Michel Platini won the France Football award three times successively in the 1980s.
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This is what Messi said :
“It is incredible to receive this prize once again and it’s impressive it makes it four in a row. I would like to share this with my Barca teammates – particularly with Andres, who is here with me,”
“I am proud to be able to train alongside him every day. I am also thinking of my teammates in the Argentina squad,” he went on.
“Thank you to all those who voted for me, skippers, coaches and national coaches.
“Thank you too to my family, my friends and of course my wife and son, who is the best thing that ever happened to me,” said the 25-year-old from Rosario, who in November became a father to son Thiago.
Beforehand he had said winning for Barcelona outweighed any personal glory.
“It’s nice to beat records but the win for the team is what is important. My goals are to win titles with the team, the Spanish league, Spanish Cup or Champions League is more important than any personal records.”
Other Winners :
The World XI of the Year:
GK: Iker Casillas
DEF: Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo.
MID: Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta.
ATT: Messi, Falcao, Ronaldo.
So a World XI comprised of players who play club football for three teams,two cities and in one country .
Spain’s Vincente 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.
USA Coach Pia Sundhage won the Women’s Team Coach of the Year Award beating Bruno Bini (the France coach), Norio Sakaki (the Japan coach)
The Fifa presidential award was given to Franz Beckenbauer,
Fifa Fair Play award was won by Uzbekistan.
Puskas award for the goal of the year was given to Miroslav Stoch for this:
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