Madrid, Dec 22 (DPA) It has been a wonderful year for Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, who Monday was crowned with the FIFA World Player of the Year award, based on the votes of the managers and captains of the world’s national teams.
Messi, 22, came second in the voting in 2007 and 2009 but this time managed to finish ahead of Real Madrid stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, as well as Spaniards Xavi and Andres Iniesta, the previous winners.
Few people would dispute his position as Planet Football’s leading play right now.
Rarely in the history of football has one player achieved so much in one calendar year.
Messi began 2009 in excellent form, helping Barcelona to stay top of La Liga with his mazy dribbles and devastating left-foot drives – as Osasuna found out to their coast in January.
In March he helped Barca to cruise past Bayern Munich into the semi-finals of the Champions league, where they would edge out Chelsea.
Messi has described May 2009 as “the most satisfying month of my career” – and for good reason.
First he masterminded Barca’s memorable 6-2 win away to Real Madrid – a win which virtually guaranteed the Catalans the league title – with two goals and a virtuoso performance of dribbles, faints, passes and shots.
Then he helped Barca to win the King’s Cup final, scoring the second goal in a 4-1 destruction of Athletic Bilbao.
And he crowned a golden month by heading in the second goal in the 2-0 defeat of Manchester United in the Champions League final.
Coach Josep Guardiola confused United by taking Messi away from his habitual position on the right wing and giving him a free role behind the other two strikers – to excellent effect.
Messi started this season by helping Barca to win the Spanish and European Supercups.
However, he was soon hit by two problems. He struggled to reproduce his Barca form for Argentina and looked uncomfortable having to play for volatile national manager Diego Maradona, with whom he has frequently been compared.
No sooner had Messi helped Argentina to qualify for the World Cup finals than he was slowed up by a series of muscle injuries.
He has been plagued with such minor injuries since starting out in the youth team of Newell’s Old Boys, in his native city of Rorio.
His family emigrated to Spain in 2000 and Messi entered the Barcelona youth sections as a tiny, skinny 13 year-old. Barca put him on a special hormone treatment to help him grow, and this is often cited as the source of his muscle problems.
Despite his muscle injuries, Messi won the European Footballer of the Year award in November, by a record margin over 2008 winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
He was desperate to show the world that he deserved the award by helping Barca to win December’s Club World Cup tournament. However, he arrived in Abu Dhabi with a twisted right ankle and it was doubtful if he would be able to play.
The end of this story reads more like a fairy tale than a sports chronicle.
Messi came off the subs’ bench during the semi-final against Mexican side Atlante, with the score at 1-1 – and scored a handsome goal within three minutes.
In the final, against Argentine team Estudiantes, he was again given a free, roving role by Guardiola. He had a relatively quiet match by his high standards.
But cometh the hour, cometh the man.
With 10 minutes of extra-time left to play, with the score 1-1 and with a penalty shootout looming, Messi gave Barca the world crown and their sixth trophy of the year by making it 2-1 with his chest, diving to turn in a clever centre from Dani Alves.
The scrawny little kid from Roario was now truly on top of the world, where he intends to stay for many years.
rounak