Meet ‘the new Lionel Messis’ of the world

The Argentinian received around 41 percent of the total votes in a 23-candidate ballot, Ronaldo receiving almost 28 percent with Neymar getting around eight percent.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi won the football’s most prestigious award for the record fifth time to further cement his reputation as the world’s greatest footballer. To win his fifth Ballon d’Or means a lot.

“It’s a very special moment for me to be back here on the stage”, Messi said in Spanish in his acceptance speech, “after being there in the audience watching Cristiano win”.

All the receivers of Balon d’Or got to vote and they picked Pele, who gained 122 votes from his fellow players. “I also wanted to thank, obviously, my teammates, as I always say, without them none of this would have ever been possible”.

The first three spots in the table of honor are taken by Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar and they are followed by Robert Lewandowski and Luis Suarez.

“I think that with his quality and fitness, Neymar will become the best in the world”, Messi said during a 2014 press conference. He was crowned the best player in the world for the next three occasions too until Ronaldo regained the trophy in 2013.

The Ballon d’Or is voted for by the national team managers and captains of affiliated Federation Internationale de Football Association nations.

Five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi has hinted he could end his career by returning to his native Argentina. Lloyd scored a hat-trick as the Americans beat Japan 5-2 in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, including a hair-raising gem from the halfway line.

Before the awards ceremony, Messi told reporters that “just to be here for a ninth time is truly wonderful, and I am already satisfied just to be here”, reports FOX Sports. The best coach of 2015 was Luis Enrique of Barcelona while for women’s teams the prize went to United States coach Jill Ellis.

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola was second, with Chile’s Copa America-winning coach Jorge Sampaoli in third place.