Barcelona midfielder Xavi has said that his teammate Lionel Messi should win the coveted FIFA Ballon d'Or as he is the "best player in history".
Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid are the other two nominees for the prestigious award for 2013.
"I wanted to stay away from such questions, but I think we have to choose a player who is not only the best in the world, but the best player in history — Lionel Messi," Xavi told reporters.
"If I could vote, I'd go for Messi in number one, followed by Franck [Ribery] and Cristiano Ronaldo at number three."
The winner of the award will be announced in Zurich on January 13.
