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Lionel Messi Voted Best Player Of The Year At Globe Soccer Awards

By Gregory Wakeman
Published on: 14:08 PST, Dec 27, 2015

Lionel Messi has been voted as the Best Player Of The Year at the Globe Soccer Awards, with the Barcelona forward being presented with the trophy and accolade at a ceremony in Dubai on Sunday.

Lionel Messi wasn’t the only Barcelona player left celebrating at the awards on Sunday night, as Barcelona were also crowned as the Best Team Of The Year too. But it was Lionel Messi’s award that drew the attention right back onto the diminutive forward, who is widely regarded as the best soccer player in the world.

Lionel Messi beat Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the Globe Soccer Awards Best Player Of The Year award last year, as well as Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon to claim the prize.

After receiving the gong, Lionel Messi told the gathered crowd, via Goal, “Obviously I am very happy to be here and delighted to win this award but as always, the most important thing is the collective, the team.”

Lionel Messi then admitted that it was impossible for him to pick out one specific moment from what had been a rather incredible year. “It is difficult to pick out one moment from what has been an extraordinary year for Barca. The whole year has been wonderful,”

Messi declared. Lionel Messi will have his eye on a bigger prize though. Messi will be keen on reclaiming the FIFA Ballon d’Or in January, an award that he has previously won on four occasions.

However, Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed the gong for the two previous years, and Messi will be eager to make sure that doesn’t become three. Messi has been nominated in the final three for the 2016 FIFA Ballon d’Or, and he will go up against Ronaldo and his Barcelona team-mate Neymar, with the winner being announced next month on January 11, 2016.

Speaking about Lionel Messi, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu heaped praise on the Argentinian striker insisting that he is the greatest player of all time. Bartomeu’s praise didn’t stop there though, because he insisted that the 28-year-old is one of the three most important players to have ever played at the Nou Camp.

According to The Sun, Bartomeu explained, “Messi is one of three players to have made a major impact at Barcelona recently. At first, there was Johan Cruyff, first as a player and then as a coach. Then there was Ronaldinho, who brought a smile back on our face.”

Bartomeu added, “And then there was Messi, who is not only the best player in the world for me, but also the best player in the history of the game. We can only survive without Messi for a number of weeks.”

But while Bartomeu was adamant that Barcelona can only survive without their talisman for a few games, he insisted that the club already has the player on their roster to take over from Messi and inherit the position. Bartomeu declared that Lionel Messi be ultimately be replaced by 23-year-old Brazilian Neymar as Barcelona’s best player.

Bartomeu added, “Neymar will be the star of the game in the future, even if he is already a key figure right now.” Neymar is currently rivalling Lionel Messi as Barcelona’s key player, as he has already scored 14 goals in just 13 La Liga games this season.

[Image via Associated Press]

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