Lionel Messi wins 2012 Fifa Ballon d'Or,Four times in Succession

The Argentine attacker becomes the first player in history to win the Ballon d'Or four times in succession. He previously shared the record of three consecutive victories with Michel Platini, while Dutch duo Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten also won the prize three times.

Messi was unable to help Barcelona to the Liga title in 2011-12 as Real Madrid emerged victorious, while they were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Champions League, yet Messi's brilliance was enough to help him to individual glory.

The recognition comes after a year in which the 25-year-old broke numerous records, including the most goals scored in a calendar year.

Messi netted an astonishing 91 strikes over the course of 2012 to crush Gerd Muller's previous record of 85 goals in a year, scoring 79 for Barcelona and 12 more for Argentina.