By Gilbert Alasa.
Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi, has been named FIFA World Player of the Year 2015.
Messi beat team-mate Neymar and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, to the prize and has now won it five times.
Messi was the clear favourite to win the prize, having led Barcelona to a famous treble last season. It is also his fourth time of taking home the accolade.
Ronaldo is the last Ballon d’Or holder, but failed to draw level with Messi for overall wins on Monday night.
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In the hours before the ceremony, which took placed in a gold-draped room in Zurich’s Kongreshaus, reigning champion Cristiano Ronaldo admitted that Messi was the likely and deserving winner.
This time, there was no bitterness as the Portuguese spoke with humour and admiration about the quality of the Barcelona playmaker’s left foot.
“It is a very special moment for me to be back here on this stage, winning another Ballon d’Or after being there in the audience watching Cristiano win,” Messi said.
