Argentine and Barcelona playmaker, Lionel Messi has been named winner of the 2012 FIFA Player of the Year award (also known as Ballon d’Or), thus completing a remarkable year in which he shattered series of histories.
Messi’s 91 goals in the 2012 calendar were the highest by any footballer, and he has now completed his record-replete year by becoming the first footballer to win the Ballon d’Or a whopping four times.
At the award, held in Zurich on Monday, Messi received 41.60 per cent of votes cast by coaches and captains of national teams. Christiano Ronaldo claimed 23.68 per cent of the votes to place second while Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta emerged third with 10.91 per cent of votes.
“To tell the truth, this is really unbelievable to get the fourth award. I am so nervous,” Messi said at the event.
In other award categories, the Female Coach of the Year 2012 award went to Pia Sundhage, former coach of US women national team
Coach of the Spanish national team, Vincent Del Bosque was named Male Coach of the Year while the FIFA Presidential Award went to German Franz Beckembauer.
The Uzbeskistan Football Federation won the Fair Play award, Miroslav Stoch won the Puskas Award for Best Goal of the Year, and Aby Wambach won the FIFA Female Footballer of the Year award.
