Lionel Messi world's best player, 3 times in a row

Lionel Messi, Barcelona's diminutive forward, has won the Ballon d'Or as the Argentine matched Michel Platini as only the second player win three successive awards.

The Barcelona star received 47.88 per cent of the points in votes cast by national team coaches and captains plus invited journalists. Cristiano Ronaldo finished second with 21.6 per cent and Xavi got 9.23 per cent to finish third for the third year in succession.

Barcelona's Pep Guardiola was named coach of the year; Japan's women's World Cup-winning captain Homare Sawa the women's player; Japan's (male) manager Norio Sasaki coach of the year for women's football; the Japanese FA were awarded the Fifa fair play award; while Brazilian 19-year-old sensation Neymar won the Fifa Puskas award for the best goal of 2011.

FIFPRO TEAM OF THE YEAR

GK - Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)

DF - Dani Alves (Barcelona)

DF - Gerard Pique (Barcelona)

DF - Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

DF - Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd)

MF - Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)

MF - Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)

MF - Xavi (Barcelona)

FW - Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

FW - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

FW - Wayne Rooney (Man Utd)

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