Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or award bagging it for the fifth time and with it proved to be one of the world’s top strikers.
The 28-year-old Argentine got 41.33% of the vote, with his closest challenger Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo coming second after garnering 27.76%. Neymar another Barcelona player was third with 7.86% of the vote.
Messi won the award on the back of an outstanding performance in the past season where he scored 52 goals and provided 26 assists in 61 games. This translated to a goal every 101 minutes and an assist in every 202 minutes.
Furthermore, he has scored in all the past six club tournaments where Barcelona won five of them. To cap a great season, Messi won a treble with Barcelona in the 2014-2015 season- La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
In another award, Barcelona coach Barcelona coach Luis Enrique was voted the world coach of the year. This is on the back of leading the Cartalan side to five of the six trophies on offer last season including the Champions League, La Liga and the Copa del Rey.
United States coach Jill Ellis was named women’s football world coach of the year after leading her country to winning the World Cup last year.
Wendell Lira from Atletico Goianiense won the goal of the year award for his spectacular overhead kick in Brazil’s Goiano state league game against Goianesia last season.