Lionel Messi - European Footballer of the Year

Lionel Messi - European Footballer of the Year

Lionel Messi has described becoming the first Argentinian to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or as a "big honour".

The talented Barcelona forward beat last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo into second place in the poll for Europe's footballer of the year, organised by France Football magazine.

Messi, 22, is the sixth Barcelona player to take the award but the first for four years - since Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho.

He told France Football: "There's lots of emotion - the Ballon d'Or is very important for me.

"I know I appeared among the favourites because Barcelona had a profitable year.

"For me it's a big honour to win - but also to become the first Argentinian in history to receive the trophy.

"I dedicate it to my family, they were always present when I needed them and sometimes felt even stronger emotions than me."

Messi recently signed a two-year contract extension with European champions Barca until 2016 - an improved deal which includes a buy-out clause worth 250million euros (£228million).

The Argentinian won an unprecedented treble last season as the Catalan side won the Champions League, the Spanish title and the Copa del Rey.

Messi was the top scorer in last year's Champions League with nine goals, including a header in the 2-0 final defeat of Manchester United in Rome.

Messi polled 473 votes, more than double the number Real Madrid's Ronaldo totalled (233) and 27 more than the impressive number the Portugal international managed in winning last year's award.

Ronaldo was the only non-Barcelona player in the top four, with Spain midfielders Xavi (170) and Andres Iniesta (149) next in the list.

Former Barca striker Samuel Eto'o - who also scored in last season's Champions League final, before moving to Inter Milan - was fifth on 75, 17 votes clear of Real's former AC Milan playmaker Kaka.

Barcelona's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who moved to the Nou Camp in the deal which took Eto'o to the San Siro in the summer, polled 50 for seventh, ahead of a quintet of English-based players.

Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney and Chelsea forward Didier Drogba were eighth and ninth, with Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard completing the top 10.

Positions 11 to 30 were revealed on Sunday.

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was 11th, Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas 12th, with Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs - who netted his 100th Premier League goal at Portsmouth on Saturday, finishing 14th.

Barcelona's Thierry Henry, heavily criticised for his handball in France's World Cup play-off win over Republic, completed the top 15.

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic shared 16th place with eight points alongside Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano and Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan polled seven and Bordeaux playmaker Yoann Gourcuff six, while Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin and Chelsea counterpart Frank Lampard shared 21st with five alongside Inter keeper Julio Cesar.

Inter's Maicon (four), Juventus' Diego (three), Valencia's David Villa and Chelsea defender John Terry (two), and Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Barcelona's Yaya Toure (one) completed the star-studded list.

LIONEL MESSI FACTFILE

1987: June 24 - Born Lionel Andres Messi in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina.

1995: Joins Newell's Old Boys.

1998: Diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at age of 11.

2000: Moves to Barcelona, aged 13, and quickly works his way up the youth ranks and into the first team.

2003: November 16 - Makes first-team debut in friendly at Porto at the age of 16.

2004: October 16 - Appears in first official Barca match, aged 17, in 1-0 derby win at Espanyol.

2005: May 1 - Becomes youngest player to score for Barcelona by netting against Albacete.

June - Helps Argentina to World Youth Championship triumph in Holland. Messi is competition's top scorer and is named player of the tournament.

August 17 - Makes full Argentina debut as second-half substitute in Hungary, only to be shown a red card within two minutes.

September - Granted EU passport by Spanish government.

2006: May - Helps Barca retain Primera Liga title and win Champions League, although he misses out on European Cup final win over Arsenal in Paris due to thigh injury.

June 16 - Becomes youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup with substitute appearance against Serbia & Montenegro. Also nets final goal in 6-0 win to become fifth youngest goalscorer in World Cup history.

June 30 - Left on bench by coach Jose Pekerman for quarter-final against Germany, which Argentina lose 4-2 on penalties.

November 12 - Ruled out for three months with foot injury.

2007: April 18 - Scores a spectacular individual goal - reminiscent of Diego Maradona's second goal against England at the 1986 World Cup - as Barca beat Getafe 5-2 in Copa del Rey semi-finals.

July - Named Young Player of the Tournament after helping Argentina to Copa America final, where they lose to Brazil.

December 2 - Finishes third behind Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo in Ballon d'Or voting.

December 13 - Again misses out to Kaka, this time finishing second to the Brazilian in FIFA World Player of the Year poll.

2008: July 3 - Included in Argentina squad for Olympic Games in Beijing, prompting protracted dispute between the Argentinian federation and Barcelona. Barca want the player available for Champions League qualifiers in August.

August 7 - Barca announce they will allow Messi to remain with Argentina squad for the duration of the Olympics despite the Court of Arbitration for Sport's ruling that clubs do not have to release players because the Games do not appear on the official FIFA calendar.

August 23 - Insists all the controversy over his selection for Olympics had been worth it after helping Argentina to back-to-back gold medals. The 21-year-old plays a starring role in the tournament and has a leading role in the 1-0 victory over Nigeria in the final in Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium.

December 2 - Finishes second behind Ronaldo in Ballon d'Or voting.

2009: May 27 - Scores second goal as Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0 to win Champions League final in Rome. Also helps Barca win the Primera Division and Copa del Rey titles in an unprecedented treble.

October 14: Helps Argentina reach the World Cup finals with 1-0 win in Uruguay.

December 1: Wins Ballon d'Or.