Lionel Messi won Ballon d'Or award 2015

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi on 11 January 2016 won the Ballon d'Or trophy for the world’s best football player for the fifth time overall. In the 2014-15 season, Messi had played 61 games in which he scored 52 goals, and gave 26 assists.

In the award ceremony in Zurich, the 28-year-old Argentine claimed the award with 41.33 percent votes.

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was second with 27.76 percent votes, while his Barcelona team-mate Neymar stood at the third position with 7.86 percent votes.

Ronaldo had won the award in 2015 for the third time, while Messi was the winner from 2009 to 2012.

On the other hand, US midfielder Carli Lloyd, who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final against Japan, claimed the Women's player of the year award.

2015 winners
• FIFA Ballon d'Or: Lionel Messi
• FIFA Women's World Player of the Year: Carli Lloyd
• FIFA Puskas Award: Wendell Lira
• FIFA World Coach of the Year (Men's): Luis Enrique
• FIFA World Coach of the Year (Women's): Jill Ellis
• FIFA FIFPro World XI: Neuer, Silva, Marcelo, Ramos, Alves, Iniesta, Modric, Pogba, Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo
• FIFA Fair Play Award: All football organisations supporting refugees

FIFA Ballon d'Or Award
• The FIFA Ballon d'Or award is an annual association football award given by FIFA to the male player who has performed the best in the previous calendar year.
• It is awarded based on the votes from national team coaches and captains, as well as journalists from around the world.
• The award began in 2010 after France Football's Ballon d'Or and the men's FIFA World Player of the Year award were merged.
• The winner of the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or was Lionel Messi who also won the title for the years 2011, 2012 and 2015.
• Messi was the last footballer to win the Ballon d'Or award in 2009 after which the award was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year awards to create the FIFA Ballon d'Or

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