Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi was crowned World Player of the Year by world football's ruling body FIFA Monday. Messi, whose goals this year helped Barcelona win the Champions League final and World Club Cup final, thus succeeds Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo as the world's top player, as voted by national team captains and coaches. Brazilian women's football star Marta won the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the fourth consecutive year. Marta, who plays professionally for Los Angeles Sol, thus becomes the record winner of the honor awarded by football's world ruling body. American Mia Hamm won the inaugural women's award in 2001, winning again in 2002. Germany's Birgit Prinz then picked up the award three years in a row from 2003-2005. Messi has played a huge role in the recent success of Spanish giant Barcelona, which has won a total of six trophies in the past season including the Champions League title and the World Club Cup trophy last week. The Argentine forward's talents were given the ultimate thumbs-up earlier this month when he was voted the winner of the Ballon d'Or for the European Footballer of the Year. On Monday Messi, 22, had been in contention with Barcelona teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi, both from Spain, Brazilian striker Kaka of Real Madrid, the winner in 2007, and last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo also won both trophies last season. The Argentine, who joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000, claimed 1,073 points in a poll of 147 national team coaches and captains. Ronaldo was a distant second with 352 points followed by Xavi (196). The FIFA award was introduced in 1991. While Ronaldo won the Ferenc Puskas award for goal of the season while playing with former club Manchester United, one of Messi's goals was among the highlights. Despite his diminutive stature Messi, who stands 1.69 meters or five feet seven inches tall, rose above United's defense in the Champions League final in Rome to head the second of Barcelona's goals in its 2-0 victory. The Argentine is also known for his superb dribbling and fast, mazy runs that leave opposition defenses in tatters, and on Monday he was just as quick to share out the plaudits. “I want to thank my teammates, notably those who are present here tonight, without whom none of my achievements would have been possible,” said Messi. “2009 has been a wonderful year for Barcelona and also for me.” Messi's goal against United in last season's final was his ninth of the 2009 Champions League campaign and left him as the competition's top scorer. Last week Messi also proved decisive in the World Club Cup final. He scored Barcelona's second goal in the 2-1 victory over South American champion Estudiantes of Argentina. In 2009 Barcelona also won the league title, the King's (Spanish) Cup, the Spanish Super Cup and the European Super Cup. Messi's vote appeared to be entirely based on his club form as his performances for Argentina, under coach Diego Maradona, were largely disappointing. Argentina struggled to qualify for the World Cup and its results this year included a 6-1 hammering in Bolivia and defeats by Paraguay and Ecuador. Before the ceremony, Messi told reporters he could not explain why he failed to perform at the same level for his country. “I don't know,” he said. “I try to do the same as I do for Barcelona. But the World Cup qualifiers are complicated, sometimes it's difficult to play and it was a big effort for us to qualify. “I believe the World Cup could be completely different for us ... it could be better for me and Argentina.” Messi does not feel like the planet's No. 1 soccer player and has put his phenomenal personal success over the past year down to playing in a great team. “No, please, I am not King of the World now, nor the No. 1, I don't believe in those things,” Messi said in an interview with Spain's el Periodico newspaper. “I am the same person as always and I have the good fortune to play in a great team,” the 22-year-old added. “I don't feel like the best, the best is Barca.”
