Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or over Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar
Messi earned his record-extending fifth after being runner-up to his great rival for the past two years.
- Messi got 41.33 per cent of total voting points in a 23-candidate ballot. (Photo: AP)
- Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos on the red carpet with his girlfriend. (Photo: AP)
- Cristiano Ronaldo obliges his fans signing autographs before the awards. (Photo: AP)
- Lloyd got 35.28 per cent of the voting points, ahead of Germany's Celia Sasic with 12.6 per cent. Third-place Aya Miyama of Japan got 9.88 per cent. Sasic also scored six goals in Canada to win the tournament Golden Boot, then retired aged just 27. (Photo: AP)
- A players' vote organised by international union FIFPro gave a World XI of: Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich); Dani Alves (Brazil, Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid), Thiago Silva (Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain), Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid); Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona), Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid), Paul Pogba (France, Juventus); Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo. (Photo: AP)
- FIFA dedicated its Fair Play Award to \"clubs and associations helping refugees.\" (Photo: AP)
- Lloyd stood out by scoring six World Cup goals, including a stunning hat trick in the opening 16 minutes of a 5-2 rout of Japan in the final. (Photo: AP)
- The women's awards were won by US captain Carli Lloyd and coach Jill Ellis. (Photo: AP)
- Ronaldo received 27.76 per cent and third-place Neymar, Messi's Barcelona teammate from Brazil, got 7.86 per cent. (Photo: AP)
- Five major titles for Barcelona last year - leaving none for Ronaldo's Real Madrid - brought the golden ball back into Messi's hands. It was not even close. (Photo: AP)
- Messi kisses his girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo after winning the award. (Photo: AP)
- \"It's a very special moment for me to be back here on the stage,\" Messi said in Spanish in his acceptance speech, \"after being there in the audience watching Cristiano win.\" (Photo: AP)
- Messi earned his record-extending fifth after being runner-up to his great rival for the past two years. (Photo: AP)
- \"It's incredible that it's my fifth,\" said the 28-year-old Barcelona and Argentina forward, who won four straight FIFA awards from 2009-12. (Photo: AP)
- Now score it Lionel Messi 5, Cristiano Ronaldo 3. Messi won the Ballon d'Or trophy on Monday as the world's best player in 2015, ending Cristiano Ronaldo's two-year hold on soccer's top individual honour. (Photo: AP)
Messi got 41.33 per cent of total voting points in a 23-candidate ballot. (Photo: AP)
Messi earned his record-extending fifth after being runner-up to his great rival for the past two years.
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