European Football Focus: Ballon d'Or 2011

<div class="excerpt"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3g7u56BTcNZJ1a1n8_nq1MyJV_1Zs_OP8c43OoryH7NMLkhcmREYpIfjTFFBqVMU2gY3QDNHZmExDYOinxe8e6DlxuvGEcMikJ5JSCBkrkYN3Ps2M7p4_x4pl_WeYF0agwC_MOZciWOWC/s1600/lionel-messi-ballon-d%2527or-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lionel Messi with Ballon d'Or Award" border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3g7u56BTcNZJ1a1n8_nq1MyJV_1Zs_OP8c43OoryH7NMLkhcmREYpIfjTFFBqVMU2gY3QDNHZmExDYOinxe8e6DlxuvGEcMikJ5JSCBkrkYN3Ps2M7p4_x4pl_WeYF0agwC_MOZciWOWC/s640/lionel-messi-ballon-d%2527or-2012.jpg" title="Lionel Messi with Ballon d'Or Award" width="640" /></a></div><div class="excerpt"> </div><div class="excerpt">Barcelona ace Lionel Messi was awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the third consecutive year. The 24-year-old forward beat team-mate Xavi and Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo to the title of the world's best player.<o:p></o:p></div> Messi, man of the match in the Champions League final in 2011, also won the La Liga, Spanish Supercopa, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup last year.<o:p></o:p> Messi's Barcelona team-mate Xavi praised the young Argentinean, predicting a dazzling future for him and proclaiming that Lionel will be named amongst the greats in football.<o:p></o:p> He said: "He's still young, only 24, and I think he's going to break all the records that exist in this sport.<o:p></o:p> "He's going to be one of the best footballers in the history of the sport."<o:p></o:p> Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and skipper Nemanja Vidic were both included in the world XI dominated by Spanish La Liga players.<o:p></o:p> The FIFPro World XI was:<o:p></o:p> <ul><li>Goal Keeper: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid),<o:p></o:p></li><li>Full Back: Dani Alves (Barcelona),<o:p></o:p></li><li>Center Back: Gerard Pique (Barcelona),<o:p></o:p></li><li>Center Back: Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd),<o:p></o:p></li><li>Full Back: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid),<o:p></o:p></li><li>Mid-Field: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona),<o:p></o:p></li><li>Mid-Field: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid),<o:p></o:p></li><li>Mid-Field: Xavi (Barcelona),<o:p></o:p></li><li>Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), <o:p></o:p></li><li>Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid),<o:p></o:p></li><li>Striker: Wayne Rooney (Man Utd).<o:p></o:p></li></ul> Manchester United striker Rooney said at the gala: "It was a great year and the highlight was winning the Premier League for the 19th time, which was a great moment for the club."<o:p></o:p> OTHER AWARDS: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-BI4NlMktlfoown7R1z9Rf-8YN7AYnpgLxPsbt797Kf0D5bc350ruEfJDY7likCazHmX8HQmDIliG_WHM1IpgbpDtWcKCx8iSG7-kr5oWjD9ZjKZ6DyJUIfbI5Jas817WsF4TmyP92QS/s1600/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-with-Blatter-and-receiving-FIFA+presidential+award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sir Alex Ferguson with FIFA presidential award" border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-BI4NlMktlfoown7R1z9Rf-8YN7AYnpgLxPsbt797Kf0D5bc350ruEfJDY7likCazHmX8HQmDIliG_WHM1IpgbpDtWcKCx8iSG7-kr5oWjD9ZjKZ6DyJUIfbI5Jas817WsF4TmyP92QS/s640/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-with-Blatter-and-receiving-FIFA+presidential+award.jpg" title="Sir Alex Ferguson with FIFA presidential award" width="640" /></a></div> <ul><li>Coach of the year: Pep Guardiola(Barcelona).<o:p></o:p></li><li>Women Player of the year: Homare Sawa (Japan, World Cup winning skipper). <o:p></o:p></li><li>Coach of the year for women's football: Norio Sasaki (Japan Women’s team manager).<o:p></o:p></li><li>FIFA fair play award: Japanese FA.<o:p></o:p></li><li>FIFA Puskas award for the best goal of 2011: Neymar (Santos, Brazil)<o:p></o:p></li><li>FIFA presidential award for services to football: Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United).<o:p></o:p></li></ul>

Lionel Ballon d’Or Messi

Barcelona ace Lionel Messi was awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the third consecutive year. The 24-year-old forward beat team-mate Xavi ...

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