NNewew VVisionision SPORT Wednesday, January 9, 2013 39

A combination photograph shows holding the 2009 (left), 2010, 2011Why and 2012 FIFA Ballon d’Or trophies. The Argenti Messi!nian star striker won the award for the fourth year running

ZURICH since Kaka won the award in 2007, an unprecedentedly bad run for a country Lionel Messi, still only 25, was named which once produced industrial quan- FIFA awards the world’s best player for the fourth tities of world class footballers. time in a row on Monday after a year Their only representative on the 2012 FIFA Awards in which finally produced his best 23-man shortlist this time was Santos FIFA Ballon d’Or Award form for Argentina as well as Barce- striker , who finished 13th with Lionel Messi lona. 0.61 percent of the vote. Messi was handed the FIFA Ballon In terms of major titles, 2012 was of the D’Or award after a typically cheesy relatively poor for Messi as Barcelona Year award ceremony which featured a perfor- won only the King’s Cup They lost out mance from a giant dancing armadillo to Real Madrid in and their named Fuleco, the mascot for the 2014 Champions League campaign ended Presidential Award World Cup in Brazil. with a semi-final defeat to Chelsea. Real Madrid and Portugal forward , winner in 2008, Record breaking tally Fair Play Award finished runner-up behind Messi for Yet, there was no arguing with Uzbekistan the third time and Messi’s Barcelona Messi’s record-breaking total of 91 team mate Andres Iniesta was third. goals in the calendar year while he Best of the For the third time in a row since also overcame his major perceived year Award FIFA’s Player of the Year of the year weakness, his form when playing for Miroslav Stoch merged with ’s Ballon his country. d’Or, the podium was shared by three Messi scored 12 goals for Argentina, Team of the Year players based in La Liga. including his first two hat-tricks, as he I. Casillas, D. Alves, put them well on course for a place at G. Pique, S. Ramos and Del Bosque shines the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Marcelo, (defence), X. Spain’s Vicente del Bosque won “We have changed this year, we Alonsi, and A. Ini- the coach of the year award in a poll haven’t lost any games and, very im- esta (midfield), L. Messi, where FIFA baf- portantly, we have R. Falcao and C. Ronaldo flingly failed to look played very well, (attack) beyond coaches something which based in Europe. before we weren’t Women’s Player of Herve Renard, who doing,” said Messi the Year Award led Zambia to a in a news confer- Abby Wambach poignant and highly ence before the unlikely win at the ceremony. Women’s Coach of African Nations Cup Messi won 41.6 the Year Award one year ago, and per cent of the Pia Sundhage , coach of South votes in the poll American and world conducted among FIFA Ballon d’Or Award club champions Cor- the coaches and (since 2001) inthians, both failed captains of the 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 to make the original world’s national Lionel Messi shortlist of 10 coaches. teams, while Ronaldo managed 23.68 2008 Del Bosque’s two rivals on the percent and Iniesta 10.91. Cristiano Ronaldo night were former Barcelona coach The team of the year was entirely 2007 , who is currently on based on La Liga players, featur- Kaka a one-year sabbatical and won only ing in goal, , 2006 the King’s Cup last season, and Real Gerard Pique, and Mar- Madrid’s Jose Mourinho, who won La celo, in defence, Xabi Alonsi, Xavi and 2005 Liga. Andres Iniesta in midfield and Lionel Brazil’s participation was restricted to Messi, and Cristiano 2004 the armadillo, a capoeira dance group Ronaldo in attack that performed early in the ceremony The best goal of the year was given 2003 and cameo appearances from former to Slovakian forward Miroslav Stoch Pavel Nedved forward Ronaldo and national team (inset) of Fenerbahce while Former 2002 Brazil’s national coach Luiz Scolari and FIFA men’s top coach Del Bosque (top, coach , who pre- West Germany captain and coach Ronaldo right). German legend Franz Beckenbauer (middle, right) picks the Presiden- sented two awards. Franz Beckenbauer was given the 2001 tial Award from FIFA boss Sepp Blatter while women’s football coach of the The five-times world champions have presidential award for outstanding Michael Owen year Pia Sundhage (below, left) with women’s best player Abby Wambach not had a player in the final three service to football.