Lionel Messi can break another footballing record on Monday by being named the world's best player for an unprecedented fourth time, AP reported. The Barcelona and Argentina forward, who scored 91 goals in 2012, is favorite to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or prize ahead of club teammate Andres Iniesta and his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid, who complete the three-man shortlist in Zurich. A fourth straight title would lift Messi above FIFA World Player of the Year three-time winners Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo of Brazil. Since the original Ballon d'Or was launched in 1956 as a European award, Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten also earned a hat-trick of titles. Victory for Messi would fuel renewed debate over how his genius compares with Pele and Diego Maradona, whose careers were over or peaked before FIFA started its award in 1991. The South American greats were never eligible for the old Ballon d'Or run by France Football magazine. The awards merged in 2010. "(Michael) Jordan dominated his sport and Messi dominates this one," former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said last year, in comparing his protege to the basketball icon. -- SPA
