Messi and Sawa win FIFA Ballon d'Or awards

By Peter Auf der Heyde Jan 9, 2012, 19:55 GMT

Zurich - The who's who of football were present in the Zurich Kongresshaus on Monday as Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi and Japanese women's captain Homare Sawa won the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards.

It was the third time in a row that Messi was crowned the FIFA World Player, while Sawa became the first-ever Asian winner of a World Player award.

The award, announced at a glamorous gala in the Kongresshaus in Zurich, crowns a successful year for Messi, who won the Spanish league, the Champions League and the World Club Cup, as well as the Spanish and UEFA Super Cups with Barcelona.

Messi, who received the trophy from former winner Ronaldo, received 47.88 per cent of the vote, beating Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, who was second with 21.60 per cent. Team-mate Xavi picked up 9.23 per cent of the vote in third place.

Several former World Cup winners like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Mattheus were at the formal-dress affair, which became the Ballon d'Or awards last year after the FIFA World Player and the France Football Ballon d'Or award merged.

Former Ballon d'Or winner Ruud Gullit was one of two master of ceremonies, while British singer-songwriter James Blunt performed a song from his latest CD.

But the evening belonged to Messi. 'It is a huge pleasure. It is the third time and it is a huge honour and I would like to share this award with my team-mates both in Barcelona and Argentina.

'I want to share this also with my team-mate Xavi, it is the fourth time we are here together and it is an honour to play together on the pitch,' Messi said.

Homare Sara who captained Japan to a first-ever women's World Cup trophy, picked up the women's award, thereby denying Brazilian Marta a sixth successive triumph.

The 33-year-old received her award from superstar Shakira, who sang the official song for the 2010 World Cup, Waka Waka.

The coaches awards went to Japan's Norio Sasaki, who won the FIFA World Coach Women's Football award, while Messi's Barcelona coach Pep Guardialo took the male award.

He beat Sir Alex Ferguson into second place, but there was some consolation for the Manchester United coach though as he was awarded the FIFA presidential award for his contribution to the game.

In his opening speech FIFA president Joseph Blatter acknowledged that it had been a difficult year for football. 'With a family of 300 million, there are bound to be some devils amongst them.

'There are a lot of devils, some very big ones, but we are determined to steer the ship back into clear and clean waters,' he said.

On a big night for Japanese football, the country's football federation was honoured with the FIFA Fair Play award in recognition of the way in which the federation showed strength and humanity after the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The federation's president Junji Ogura said they would try to continue guaranteeing fair play in all their activities. 'It is an honour to win this award.'

Blatter also paid a tribute to Italian second division footballer Simone Farina, who went to authorities after being offered 200,000 euros (254,000 dollars) to throw a cup game between his club AS Gubbio and Cesana.

'What this 29-year-old did deserves our highest respect,' Blatter said as he welcomed the defender on the stage.