Lionel Messi wins the 2013 Ballon d’Or award

Lionel Messi has won his fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi became the first player to win four Ballon d’ Or titles as he beat his teammate Andres Iniesta and his nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo to the finish line in Zurich.

He finished 2011-2012 season with an unrivalled goal tally of 73 goals which led many to even call him the best player to have ever played the game. He ended the 2012 calendar year with a record-breaking tally of 91 goals which provided a tremendous boost to his hopes of reclaiming of this individual honour.

The Argentine also scored 14 goals in the last Champions League campaign for Barcelona and even went on to score five goals in a single game against Bayer Leverkusen.

After winning the prestigious trophy, Messi thanked his Catalan teammates for their immense contributions that led him to achieve another individual honour.

Meanwhile, Vicente del Bosque win the FIFA Coach of the Year award for leading the Spanish side to their second consecutive Euro Championship win in 2012.

More to follow…