Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, still
only 24, won the World Player of the Year award for the third time in a row
Monday.
Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo
was second in the vote for the 2011 FIFA Ballon D'Or and Messi's Barcelona team
mate Xavi third.
Messi, who inspired his Spanish team to win the
Champions League, La Liga and Club World Cup, was also first last year when the
award was created by joining together the separate annual prizes handed out by
FIFA and France Football magazine.
"To win it three times running is a very big
honor," Messi, who also won both old awards in 2009, told the audience
after being presented with the trophy by former Brazil striker Ronaldo a
three-times World Player of the Year.
"I want to share it with the people who helped
me, my team mates and coach. This is very special, I want to divide it with me
team mate Xavi."
No player has previously won the FIFA award three
times in a row, although Michel Platini claimed the France Football prize three
years in succession in the 1980s.
Barcelona's Pep Guardiola won the coach's award
ahead of Manchester United's Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho of Real Madrid.
Ferguson took the FIFA presidential award for
outstanding service to the sport.
The ceremony, co-presented by former Netherlands
striker Ruud Gullit, also saw Japan's Homare Sawa voted women's player of the
year, ending a run of five successive wins for Brazil's Martha.
Brazil and Santos forward Neymar won the award for
the goal of the year, a stunning effort in a Brazilian championship match
against Flamengo.
Messi swept home with 47.88 per cent to votes in
the survey among national team coaches, captains and selected media.
Ronaldo took 21.6 percent and Xavi 9.23 per cent.
"I would like to share this award with
Mourinho and Ferguson and all the coaches around the world who love this
game," Guardiola said.
"I also thank the thousands of people through
more the 100 years who have worked in football in Barcelona and have developed
one of the best clubs in the world."
Blatter heaped praise on Ferguson before handing
him his prize.
"In a world in which coaches are expected to
produce instant results or be changed, his longevity is a shining example of
what can be achieved through stability, continuity, investment in development
and trust and confidence in the personality himself," said the Swiss, in
his fourth mandate as FIFA president.
Reuters
Don’t
forget to like us on Facebook: LA2LAGOS on Facebook
Don’t
forget to follow us on twitter: LA2LAGOS
on Twitter
No comments:
Post a Comment