London: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi ended Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo’s two-year grip on the FIFA Ballon d’Or award, winning the prestigious award for the fifth time.
A year after Barcelona re-established itself as the world’s top football team, the 28-year-old has reclaimed his crown as the best player on the planet.
The Argentine had 41.33 percent of the vote, followed by Ronaldo with 27.76 percent Barca’s Neymar with 7.86 percent.
Jubilant after receiving the award from 2007 Ballon d’Or winner, Kaka, the Argentina international said that it was a very special moment for him to be back there on the stage, winning again another Ballon d’Or after being there in the audience watching Cristiano win, the Guardian reported.
Messi, who scored 48 goals for his club in 2015, added that it was incredible as it was much more than anything he had dreamt of as a kid. (ANI)