Messi named UEFA Best Player in Europe

Lionel Messi has been named the UEFA Best Player in Europe for the 2014-15 season for helping Barcelona to a treble of trophies.

The Argentine accepted the trophy from Mitchel Platini, president of UEFA, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

Messi, recipient of the inaugural prize in 2011, finished ahead of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and club-mate Luis Suarez in a live poll of 54 journalists who selected, via an electronic system, their favourite from the three-man shortlist announced on August 12.

The 28-year-old thanked his Barca teammate afterwards.

“We’re a unified squad who worked very hard to achieve the goals we did. I’m very happy and I would like to thank my team-mates – without them I wouldn’t have achieved this,” he said.

Messi broke Telmo Zarra’s record for Liga goals last term and ended the season with 58 in all competitions, a total increased by a double in the Blaugrana’s Copa del Rey final triumph over Athletic Club.

The Barcelona’s No10 was also the ten-goal joint-top scorer in the UEFA Champions League alongside club colleague Neymar and Ronaldo.

Other positions

4 Gianluigi Buffon (Italy – Juventus) 24 points

5 Neymar (Brazil – Barcelona) 23

6 Eden Hazard (Belgium – Chelsea) 21

7 Andrea Pirlo (Italy – Juventus) 12

8 Arturo Vidal (Chile – Juventus, now Bayern Munich) 11

9 Carlos Tevez (Argentina – Juventus, now Boca Juniors) 8

10 Paul Pogba (France – Juventus) 5