Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Yesterday, Argentina and FC Barcelona football star Lionel Messi won the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or in the FIFA event, hosted in Zürich, Switzerland. The Ballon d’Or is an annual award given to the player voted to be the best of the year.
File:Messi’s 5th Ballon d’Or.jpg
Messi along with his Barcelona teammate Neymar and Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo were shortlisted by FIFA back in November. Having won five major trophies in the 2015 calendar year, which included the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup in December in Japan against Argentine club River Plate in which he scored the first goal, Messi won 41.33% of the votes.
Winner in previous years Ronaldo secured 27.76% of the votes, and Messi’s teammate Neymar won 7.86%. 2007 Ballon d’Or winner and Brazilian player Kaká announced the winner of the Gala. Messi played 61 games in 2015, and scored 52 goals. He also provided 26 assists. He also scored in each of the six tournaments.
At the ceremony, Messi said “It’s a very special moment for me, after watching as Cristiano Ronaldo won for two years. It’s incredible that it’s my fifth. Much more than anything I would have dreamed of as a kid.” ((es)) Spanish language: Es un momento especial, después de ver dos años cómo lo ganaba Cristiano. Es increíble que sea el quinto, es mucho más de lo que imaginaba cuando era chiquito.
Messi previously won the La Liga best player of the year; and UEFA Best Player in Europe Award with 49 votes out of 54, leaving behind his teammate Luis Suárez and Ronaldo who got three and two votes respectively. He also won a silver medal in the 2015 Copa América when Argentina lost to the hosts Chile on penalties.
Messi previously won the award for four consecutive years from 2009 to 2012. Ronaldo and Messi between them have won the trophy for the past eight years. Neymar this year became the first top-three Brazilian since Kaká’s 2007 win.
Messi voted for his teammates Neymar, Suárez, and Andrés Iniesta; Neymar voted for Messi, Suárez, and Ivan Rakiti?. Neymar at the ceremony said “It is a dream for me to be here, it’s a victory”.