It won’t be Messi’s last Ballon d’ Or: Barcelona president

Although he became the first player to win the award five times, Messi has said he would swap all the individual accolades for a World Cup success.

“It’s a very special moment to come back to get a Ballon d’Or after the years Cristiano Ronaldo won”, said Messi, 28.

The Argentinian dethroned three-time Portuguese victor Cristiano Ronaldo in adding to his four consecutive awards from 2009 to 2012.

It was reported in October 2015 that Barcelona was planning to give Messi an extension to a contract that already lasts until 2018, when the player will be 30 years old. “It is incredible that it’s my fifth”.

“Lastly, I want to thank football in general for everything it has brought me, both the bad and the good, because it has made me grow and learn”.

Messi helped Barca win the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Cup last season.

Ronaldo had won the previous two Ballon d’Or prizes.

Neither Messi nor Ronaldo voted for each other in their respective top threes, with the former choosing a trio of Barca team-mates in Suarez, Neymar and Andres Iniesta, and Ronaldo also selecting three club colleagues in Karim Benzema, James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale.

United States midfielder Carli Lloyd claimed the women’s world player of the year gong.

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu was also quick to throw his support behind Messi, while Luis Enrique, who is up for coach of the year alongside Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola and Chile’s Copa America-winning boss Jorge Sampaoli, called the Argentine “unique and unrepeatable”.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi was named FIFA Ballon D’Or victor for 2015 on Monday night, and FIFA has now shared the voter’s register.