Barcelona

Lionel Messi: 'It is a very special moment'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 11 January 2016

Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi pays tribute to his teammates after claiming the 2015 Ballon d'Or trophy ahead of Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi has insisted that he would not have been able to claim the Ballon d'Or trophy for a record fifth time if it were not for the help of his teammates.

The Argentine captain was awarded the top individual prize at Monday's gala in Zurich, beating Barcelona teammate Neymar and 2014 winner Cristiano Ronaldo to the prize.

The 28-year-old helped Barcelona win La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Club World Cup in 2015.

"It's a very special moment for me to back here on this stage after being in the audience, watching Ronaldo win. It's incredible that it's my fifth and much more than I ever dreamt of as a kid. I want to thank everyone who voted for me and all my teammates," said Messi.

"Without them, none of this would've happened. I thank football in general, both the bad and good because it's made me grow and learn. That's all and thank you for everything."

Messi's club coach Luis Enrique, meanwhile, was named the FIFA Coach of the Year in Zurich.