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Argentina's 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.
Messi recently signed a two-year contract extension with the European champions until 2016 - an improved deal which includes a buy-out clause worth 250million euros (£228million).
The 22-year-old Argentinian won an unprecedented treble last season as Messi's Catalan side won the Champions League, the Spanish title and the Copa del Rey. Messi was the top scorer in last year's Champions League with nine goals, including a header in the 2-0 final defeat of Manchester United in Rome.
Messi also hit 23 goals in the league and six in the King's Cup. As the leading light in the world's best team this year, it had been widely expected Messi would snare the Ballon d'Or in the lead up to Tuesday's announcement.
Barcelona's success meant four of the ten finalists came from the club, including Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Samuel Eto'o, although Eto'o moved to Inter Milan in the summer. His replacement, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was also among the final 10, with Kaka, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Didier Drogba and the aforementioned Ronaldo.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...europe&cc=5901
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.
Messi recently signed a two-year contract extension with the European champions until 2016 - an improved deal which includes a buy-out clause worth 250million euros (£228million).
The 22-year-old Argentinian won an unprecedented treble last season as Messi's Catalan side won the Champions League, the Spanish title and the Copa del Rey. Messi was the top scorer in last year's Champions League with nine goals, including a header in the 2-0 final defeat of Manchester United in Rome.
Messi also hit 23 goals in the league and six in the King's Cup. As the leading light in the world's best team this year, it had been widely expected Messi would snare the Ballon d'Or in the lead up to Tuesday's announcement.
Barcelona's success meant four of the ten finalists came from the club, including Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Samuel Eto'o, although Eto'o moved to Inter Milan in the summer. His replacement, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was also among the final 10, with Kaka, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Didier Drogba and the aforementioned Ronaldo.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...europe&cc=5901