Photo gallery: Messi sweeps fourth successive Fifa Ballon D'Or award
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Lionel Messi of Argentina displays his Fifa Men's World Player of the Year 2012 trophy during the Fifa Ballon d'Or 2012 soccer awards ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Argentina's Lionel Messi, left, and US Abby Wambach, right, pose with their trophies after winning the World Player of the Year Awards during the Fifa Ballon d'Or Gala 2013 held at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland, Monday, Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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Lionel Messi of Argentina, Fifa World Player of the Year 2012, is seen on a screen as he delivers a speech after receiving his Fifa Ballon d'Or trophy during the Fifa Ballon d'Or 2012 soccer awards ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Lionel Messi of Argentina, Fifa World Player of the Year 2012 (left) poses with Fifa Women's World Player of the Year 2012 Abby Wambach (R) of the U.S. and Fifa President Sepp Blatter during the Fifa Ballon d'Or 2012 soccer awards ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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(Top, left to right) Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid's Marcello, Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, Barcelona's Gerard Pique, Barcelona's Dani Alves, Real Madrid's Iker Casillas (bottom, left to right) Atletico Madrid's Colombian forward Radamel Falcao, Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi, Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta, Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez and Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso receive the Fifa /FIFPro World XI award during the Fifa Ballon d'Or awards ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Argentina's Lionel Messi looks at the Ballon d'Or trophy on Jan 7, 2013 at the Kongresshaus, ahead of the Fifa 2012 Ballon d'Or award ceremony in Zurich. -- PHOTO: AFP
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A man wearing a Barcelona FC's soccer player Lionel Messi's jersey walks behind a bus with an image of Messi in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday, Jan 7, 2013. Messi became the first four-time winner of the Fifa Player of the Year award after shattering the world record with 91 goals last year for Barcelona and Argentina. -- PHOTO: AP
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People stand in front of pictures for sale of Barcelona FC's soccer player Lionel Messi in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday, Jan 7, 2013. Messi became the first four-time winner of the Fifa Player of the Year award after shattering the world record with 91 goals last year for Barcelona and Argentina. -- PHOTO: AP
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The Sept 19, 2012 file photo shows Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, eying the ball during a Champions League Group G soccer match against Spartak Moscow at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona. Lionel Messi won the Fifa world's best footballer award for record 4th straight year on Monday, Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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The Oct 12, 2012 file photo shows Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrating after scoring against Uruguay during a World Cup 2014 qualifying soccer match in Mendoza, Argentina. Lionel Messi won Fifa world's best footballer award for record 4th straight year on Monday, Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi kicks the ball during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs RCD Espanyol at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Jan 6, 2013. Barcelona won 4-0. -- PHOTO: AFP
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FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, duels for the ball next to Real Valladolid's Alberto Bueno, right, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Jose Zorrilla stadium in Valladolid, Spain on Saturday, Dec 22, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi reacts during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King's Cup) football match Cordoba FC v FC Barcelona at the Nuevo Arcangel stadium in Cordoba on Dec 12, 2012. Barcelona won the match 0-2. -- PHOTO: AFP
Lionel Messi of Argentina displays his Fifa Men's World Player of the Year 2012 trophy during the Fifa Ballon d'Or 2012 soccer awards ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Argentina's Lionel Messi, left, and US Abby Wambach, right, pose with their trophies after winning the World Player of the Year Awards during the Fifa Ballon d'Or Gala 2013 held at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland, Monday, Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
Lionel Messi of Argentina, Fifa World Player of the Year 2012, is seen on a screen as he delivers a speech after receiving his Fifa Ballon d'Or trophy during the Fifa Ballon d'Or 2012 soccer awards ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Lionel Messi of Argentina, Fifa World Player of the Year 2012 (left) poses with Fifa Women's World Player of the Year 2012 Abby Wambach (R) of the U.S. and Fifa President Sepp Blatter during the Fifa Ballon d'Or 2012 soccer awards ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
(Top, left to right) Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid's Marcello, Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, Barcelona's Gerard Pique, Barcelona's Dani Alves, Real Madrid's Iker Casillas (bottom, left to right) Atletico Madrid's Colombian forward Radamel Falcao, Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi, Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta, Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez and Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso receive the Fifa /FIFPro World XI award during the Fifa Ballon d'Or awards ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Argentina's Lionel Messi looks at the Ballon d'Or trophy on Jan 7, 2013 at the Kongresshaus, ahead of the Fifa 2012 Ballon d'Or award ceremony in Zurich. -- PHOTO: AFP
A man wearing a Barcelona FC's soccer player Lionel Messi's jersey walks behind a bus with an image of Messi in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday, Jan 7, 2013. Messi became the first four-time winner of the Fifa Player of the Year award after shattering the world record with 91 goals last year for Barcelona and Argentina. -- PHOTO: AP
People stand in front of pictures for sale of Barcelona FC's soccer player Lionel Messi in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday, Jan 7, 2013. Messi became the first four-time winner of the Fifa Player of the Year award after shattering the world record with 91 goals last year for Barcelona and Argentina. -- PHOTO: AP
The Sept 19, 2012 file photo shows Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, eying the ball during a Champions League Group G soccer match against Spartak Moscow at the Camp Nou Stadium, in Barcelona. Lionel Messi won the Fifa world's best footballer award for record 4th straight year on Monday, Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
The Oct 12, 2012 file photo shows Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrating after scoring against Uruguay during a World Cup 2014 qualifying soccer match in Mendoza, Argentina. Lionel Messi won Fifa world's best footballer award for record 4th straight year on Monday, Jan 7, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi kicks the ball during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs RCD Espanyol at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Jan 6, 2013. Barcelona won 4-0. -- PHOTO: AFP
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, duels for the ball next to Real Valladolid's Alberto Bueno, right, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Jose Zorrilla stadium in Valladolid, Spain on Saturday, Dec 22, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi reacts during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King's Cup) football match Cordoba FC v FC Barcelona at the Nuevo Arcangel stadium in Cordoba on Dec 12, 2012. Barcelona won the match 0-2. -- PHOTO: AFP
ZURICH (REUTERS) - Lionel Messi, still only 25, was named the world's best player for the fourth time in a row on Monday after a year in which finally produced his best form for Argentina as well as Barcelona.
Messi was handed the Fifa Ballon D'Or award after a typically cheesy ceremony which featured a performance from a giant dancing armadillo named Fuleco, the mascot for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
