Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was named the best player of the year at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday (December 27). The 28-year-old Argentine international, who is a four-times world player of the year and has been shortlisted for the 2015 Ballon d’Or, helped to inspire his team to the Champions League, La Liga and King’s Cup treble despite losing two months to injury.
“It’s always beautiful receiving this recognition. Even though the importance is in the team as a whole, this is also beautiful to receive an individual prize, and so I am happy, appreciative, and content to be here,” said Messi after receiving his award.
When asked if he could pick out one moment from his year, Messi responded that it was “difficult”
“The truth is, it’s difficult to come up with just one. It was a very full year for us,” he said. “We won practically everything we played. It was an extraordinary year. The truth is, to come up with just one moment is complicated. I am left thinking about the year as a whole for Barcelona.”
The best team of the year award was also presented to European champions Barcelona. Accepting the award was club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
“With Leo Messi and all those players I can tell you that life is more easy and things are easier. Performance – every time better and better and we expect from them to continue like this so we have a good future,” said Bartomeu.
Marc Wilmots was named the best coach of the year after taking the Belgium national squad to number one in the FIFA world rankings. Belgium also topped their group to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2016 finals.
Italy’s Andrea Pirlo received the first of the night’s player career awards. The midfielder, who has made 116 appearances for Italy, was part of the winning 2006 World Cup squad and helped them reach the Euro 2012 final.
Pirlo spent 10 years of his glittering club career at AC Milan where he won two Serie A and two Champions League titles. He then won Serie A titles in each of his four seasons at Juventus after quitting AC Milan in 2011.
The 36-year-old midfielder now plies his trade for New York City FC in for North America‘s Major League Soccer
Former England midfielder Frank Lampard also received the player career award. Lampard remains Chelsea’s record goal scorer and captained the Premier League side to their Champions League triumph in 2012. He also picked up three league titles during his time with the Blues.
Lampard left Chelsea for New York City FC, and spent last season on loan with Manchester City. (Reuters)