Barcelona and Argentinean international midfielder Lionel Messi has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or, the award for Europe’s player of the year voted by journalists and organised by France Football magazine.
Messi, the talented Barcelona forward, sent last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo into second place, making him the sixth Barcelona player to take the award but the first for four years since Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho.
Messi became the first Ballon D’Or winner from Argentina, eclipsing Ronaldo by a record 240-point margin.
The award’s 96 jurors gave Messi 473 points out of a possible 480, a near unanimous verdict, the magazine said on its website.