Messi beats Ronaldo to claim fifth FIFA Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi has been voted the winner of the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or for the record fifth time.

The Argentina international beat competition from Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona teammate, Neymar.

Messi’s win on Monday night makes him the player with the most wins in the history of football, having won the award in four straight years between 2009 and and 2012.

Messi won the honour with 41.33% of all votes cast ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (27.76%) and Neymar (7.86%).

The votes were decided by 165 national team coaches, 162 national team captains and 171 media representatives.

Also awarded at the gala were coaches of the year for the men and women categories and FIFA Women Player of the Year; the Puskas Award, FIFA Fair Play Award and the unveiling of the FIFA World XI.

Canada 2015 World Cup winner, Carli Lloyd, was voted the Women’s Footballer of the Year ahead of retired Germany international, Celia Sasic and Japanese Aya Miyama.

Lloyd got 35.28% of all votes cast by 136 national team coaches, 135 team captains and 106 media representatives; Sasic came second with 12.60% votes and Miyama 9.88%.

Luis Enrique beat Chile manager, Jorge Sampaoli, and Bayern’s Pep Guardiola to win the Coach of the Year Award.

Enrique won the award with 31.08% of all votes after leading FC Barcelona to four titles (La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup) in 2015.

Pep Guardiola came second on 22.97% while Jorge Sampaoli of the Chilean national team was third with 9.47%.

The winners were decided by the 167 national team coaches, 167 team captains, and 171 media representatives that cast their votes.

For the Women’s Coach of the Year, American, Jill Ellis won the prize for winning the 2015 Women World Cup in Canada.

She beat Japan coach Norio Sasaki and England’s Mark Sampson.

Ellis won with votes 42.98% votes of the 137 national teams and captains and 106 media representatives that voted; Sasaki came second with 17.79% while Sampson came third with 10.68%.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Ballon d’Or – Lionel Messi
Women Player of the Year – Carli Lloyd of USA
Men’s coach of the year – Luis Enrique
Women’s Coach of the Year – Jill Ellis of the USA
Puskas Award – Wendell Lira
Fair Play Award – Gerald Asamoah

FIFProX1:
Manuel Neuer
Thiago Silva
Marcelo
Sergio Ramos
Dani Alves
Andres Iniesta
Luca Modric
Paul Pogba
Neymar
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo