Barcelona ace Lionel Messi has been named winner of the prestigious Fifa Ballon d'Or award.
The Argentina star saw off competition from Barca team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta, who both won the World Cup with Spain last summer, to scoop the gong in Zurich on Monday evening.
Messi, 23, scored an astonishing 60 goals for club and country in 2010 and is regarded by many as the most gifted player of his generation.
He said: "To be honest, I didn't expect to win today, but it was already great to be here next to my two mates.
"To win it makes it even more special. I want to share with all of my friends, my family, all the Barcelonistas and the Argentinians."
He becomes the inaugural winner of the Fifa Ballon d'Or after it was created following the merging of France Football magazine's European Footballer of the Year prize with the Fifa World Player of the Year honour.
As such, it is awarded based on votes cast by journalists from around the world and coaches and captains of national teams.
Messi was the holder of both titles and therefore joins former Brazil strikers Ronaldo and Rivaldo and France legend Zinedine Zidane as a multiple winner of the latter accolade.
Alfredo Di Stefano, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Ronaldo are the only other men to win the Ballon d'Or more than once.
Messi also became the first player to be awarded the prize in a World Cup year without having won the tournament for the first time since 1994 (when non-Europeans were ineligible).
Jose Mourinho was named Coach of the Year ahead of World Cup-winning Spain boss Vicente del Bosque and Barcelona's Pep Guardiola for leading Inter Milan to an unprecedented Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia treble.
Sky Sports | Football News | Primera Division | Barcelona | Messi scoops Ballon d'Or
The Argentina star saw off competition from Barca team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta, who both won the World Cup with Spain last summer, to scoop the gong in Zurich on Monday evening.
Messi, 23, scored an astonishing 60 goals for club and country in 2010 and is regarded by many as the most gifted player of his generation.
He said: "To be honest, I didn't expect to win today, but it was already great to be here next to my two mates.
"To win it makes it even more special. I want to share with all of my friends, my family, all the Barcelonistas and the Argentinians."
He becomes the inaugural winner of the Fifa Ballon d'Or after it was created following the merging of France Football magazine's European Footballer of the Year prize with the Fifa World Player of the Year honour.
As such, it is awarded based on votes cast by journalists from around the world and coaches and captains of national teams.
Messi was the holder of both titles and therefore joins former Brazil strikers Ronaldo and Rivaldo and France legend Zinedine Zidane as a multiple winner of the latter accolade.
Alfredo Di Stefano, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Ronaldo are the only other men to win the Ballon d'Or more than once.
Messi also became the first player to be awarded the prize in a World Cup year without having won the tournament for the first time since 1994 (when non-Europeans were ineligible).
Jose Mourinho was named Coach of the Year ahead of World Cup-winning Spain boss Vicente del Bosque and Barcelona's Pep Guardiola for leading Inter Milan to an unprecedented Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia treble.
Sky Sports | Football News | Primera Division | Barcelona | Messi scoops Ballon d'Or
