Lionel Messi claimed the World Player of the Year award on Monday
to nearly complete his collection of football's greatest honors.
Messi tacked on the prestigious award to his growing list of
accolades at a FIFA gala ceremony in Zurich, easily outdistancing
the last two winners - Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka - along with his
Barcelona teammates Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta in voting
among national team captains and coaches.
It caps a perfect year for the winger, who won an
unprecedented treble of titles with Barcelona - the Spanish league
and cup, and the Champions League - and received the Ballon D'Or as
the best player in Europe. He also sealed Barcelona's first Club
World Cup on Saturday with an extra-time goal to beat Estudiantes
2-1.
All that eludes the 22-year-old Argentine now is a World Cup
title.
"It is beautiful to achieve a year that cannot possibly be
improved," Messi said through a translator. He called the award
"the icing on the cake."
Messi, who was runner-up the last two years, received 1,047
points in voting. Ronaldo was second with 352 points, followed by
Xavi with 196 points.
Messi scored 38 goals in 51 matches in all competitions
during 2008-2009 season, and has continued with 15 goals in 22
games this campaign as Barcelona have surged to the top of La Liga
and back to the Champions League knockout phase.
But his form with Argentina has been less spectacular.
The South American giants only stumbled into the World Cup
after late winners in the final qualifying matches against Peru and
Uruguay, with Messi in particular appearing confused and uninspired
since Diego Maradona took over as coach last year.
Maradona has labeled Messi his "successor" on the field, and
Messi has already surpassed the former great in terms of successes
at club level. But his only international triumph was an Olympic
gold medal in 2006, and he will have to play much better for his
country to lead Argentina to a third World Cup - and its first
since Maradona inspired victory in 1986.
Asked about his play with Argentina, Messi said he didn't
know why he has been unable to recapture his club form with his
country.
"Argentina had a hard time in the qualifying round," he
conceded. "But the World Cup is something different. I just hope
the team and I can play better."
The women's award went to Brazil's Marta for the fourth year
in a row. The 23-year-old playmaker beat teammate Cristiane, Kelly
Smith of England, and Germans Birgit Prinz and Inka Grings.
"I'm really surprised," Marta said.
The late England player and manager Bobby Robson received
FIFA's fair play award, while the presidential award for
contributions to football and society went to Jordan's Queen Rania.
The world football body also announced its first World XI
men's team - which included six players from the Spanish league and
five from the Premier League.
Real Madrid's Iker Casillas was chosen as goalkeeper, with
Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra joining
Chelsea's John Terry and Barcelona's Dani Alves in defense. Xavi,
Iniesta and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard were picked as midfielders,
with Messi, Ronaldo and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres in
attack.
The player-of-the-year shortlist also highlighted the shift
in footballing power over the last year to Spain, whose national
side is the reigning European champion and whose club sides
Barcelona and Real Madrid shared all five finalists for the award.
Ronaldo was the runaway winner in 2008 after a season during
which he scored 42 goals and won the European championship with
Manchester United. The English side was beaten in this year's final
by Barcelona, and the 24-year-old Portuguese winger moved to Real
Madrid in the offseason to join Kaka, the 2007 winner of the FIFA
award who transferred from AC Milan.
Ronaldo was honored at the gala for scoring the best goal of
2009, a 40-meter (yard) shot against Porto in last season's
Champions League. He hailed Messi for having played "very well" but
credited his rival's success to Barcelona's fluid play among
teammates who have been together for so long.
"Xavi and Iniesta also deserve the award," Ronaldo said. "If
I had to choose, I would say all three of them."
Xavi and Iniesta - aged 29 and 25, respectively - have formed
the backbone of the world's best midfield, their silky passing,
penetrating runs and sublime distribution of the ball perfectly
complimenting Barcelona's three-pronged attack of Messi, Thierry
Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
It is a combination that has also been at the heart of
Spain's rise to No. 1 in the world rankings. The duo may reap an
even bigger reward if Spain wins its first ever World Cup next year
in South Africa.
"We have great hopes," Xavi said. "Let's see if this is the
moment for Spain."
