Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi presented with platinum football boots

New Delhi: Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi was presented with a specially crafted pair of platinum football boots by manufacturing major adidas.

The Argentine super-star beat his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Barcelona team-mate Neymar to win the award for world's best football player for an unprecedented fifth time at the annual FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala in Zurich on Monday.

The German sports manufacturer tweeted on Tuesday, "A 5th Ballon d'Or and a platinum #Messi15 boot made exclusively for Leo Messi to celebrate. #BeTheDifference"

Gold is for winners. Platinum is for the greatest ever. The one-of-a-kind #Messi15 platinum boot. #BeTheDifference pic.twitter.com/CfICLFOwyQ

— adidasfootball (@adidasfootball) January 12, 2016

According to reports, the boots are based on the current Messi 15 model, and have real platinum elements which have never been seen before on a football boot.

The back has four gold dots and one platinum dot to signify Messi's record haul of five Ballon d'Or trophies, while a Spanish phrase translating as 'the greatest of all time' is printed on the sole of the right boot.

Both the Messi and adidas logos are made from real platinum, which is another nod to Messi not just being a winner, but the greatest player on the planet.

Here's how the company explained the platinum boots:

• The platinum boot features pearlescent premium leather from Argentina, enhanced with pure metallic platinum elements and logos made from of real platinum
• To commemorate Messi’s Ballon d’Or titles, the boot is embossed with four gold and one platinum embellished dots
• The insole is marked with the phrase ‘el más grande de todos los tiempos’, meaning ‘the greatest of all time’