Zurich: Argentinian Lionel Messi won the Ballon D`Or for the second successive year beating his more favoured Barcelona team-mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
The 23-year-old - the first player to win back-to-back awards since Marco van Basten in 1988/89 - had been seen as the outsider after a modest World Cup where he failed to score and Argentina went out in the quarter-finals.
Iniesta and Xavi both had outstanding World Cups with the former scoring the only goal in the 1-0 World Cup final victory over Holland.
Messi won with 22.65percent of the votes cast, with Iniesta on 17.36percent and Xavi third with 16.48percent.
Inter Milan and Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who was a controversial omission from the short list, came in fourth with 14.48percent.
"I was surprised but also happy at the same time," said Messi.
"I am surprised because the prediction was that either Xavi or Iniesta would win.”"I would like to thank those who voted for me but Xavi and Iniesta equally deserved it because they had a great year and a wonderful World Cup."
Messi, who said that winning a World Cup would mean more to him than the Ballon D`Or, admitted that he desperately wanted to improve his record with Argentina, with whom he has never won a title.
"In 2011, I want to win my first title with the national side," he said."And as a result I asked Father Christmas to give me the present of the Copa America (which takes place this year in Argentina).”
"I am going to do my utmost to win it. It is the gift I want to give to all Argentinians. My compatriots deserve a great year."
FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who along with FIFA has come under fire already for the decision to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup finals, had trumpeted Messi`s claims only last week.
"No-one can deny that Lionel Messi is an exceptional player," said the Swiss, who didn`t enjoy a great Monday as Guenter Hirsch, a former head of Germany`s highest court, resigned from FIFA`s Ethics Committee as he questioned the will of football`s top body to uphold its own rulebook.
This latest edition of the Ballon d`Or saw major changes to the way the title is nominated.
Set up in 1956 by France Football magazine the Ballon d`Or merged with FIFA`s world player of the year award for the first time.
The voting committee, up to now made up of only journalists, now includes all the managers and captains of the 208 national sides affiliated to FIFA.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.