Lionel Messi was the clear winner of World Soccer’s World Player of the Year award. The Barcelona and Argentina star collected more than twice as many votes as his nearest rivals, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Portugal, and club-mate, Andres Iniesta of Spain.
It is the third time Messi has won the award, having previously triumphed in 2009 and 2011. He joins Brazil’s Ronaldo, who is the only other player to have won the award on three occasions.
There was also recognition for Spain’s remarkable achievement in winning the 2012 European Championship. Vicente Del Bosque was the clear winner of the World Manager of the the Year Award, and Spain were the overwhelming choice as World Team of the Year.
This year, for the first time in the 30-year history of the awards, the votes from readers were combined with those from an independent panel of experts. The final vote (displayed here as percentages) were weighted to ensure 50 per cent for the reader votes and 50 per cent for those from the panel.
2012 World Player of the Year
1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina) 47.33%
2 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid & Portugal) 19.01
3 Andres Iniesta (Barcelona & Spain) 9.77
4 Andrea Pirlo (Juventus & Italy) 6.10
5 Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid & Colombia) 5.95
6 Neymar (Santos & Brazil) 3.60
7 Iker Casillas (Real Madrid & Spain) 2.30
8 Xavi (Barcelona & Spain) 1.78
9 Didier Drogba (Chelsea/Shanghai Shenhua & Ivory Coast) 1.77
10 Eden Hazard (Lille/Chelsea & Belgium) 0.37
2012 World Manager of the Year
1 Vicente Del Bosque (Spain) 28.49
2 Jose Mourinho (Real Madrid) 12.27
3 Roberto Di Matteo (Chelsea) 12.05
4 Jurgen Klopp (Borussia Dortmund) 10.33
5 Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid) 7.19
6 Herve Renard (Zambia) 6.83
7 Marcelo Bielsa (Athletic Bilbao) 5.74
8 Tite (Corinthians) 4.67
9 Pep Guardiola (Barcelona) 2.72
10 Luis Tena (Mexico Olympic) 2.63
2012 World Team of the Year
1 Spain 47.36
2 Zambia 8.52
3 Chelsea 7.84
4 Juventus 7.36
5 Atletico Madrid 4.89
6 Borussia Dortmund 4.25
7 Corinthians 4.23
8 Universidad de Chile 4.00
9 Barcelona 3.63
10 Montpellier 2.90
Breakdown of the votes
Reader Votes
Player
Lionel Messi 40.13 %
Cristiano Ronaldo 18.94
Radamel Falcao 10.99
Andrea Pirlo 9.48
Neymar 7.20
Andres Iniesta 6.82
Xavi 2.65
Didier Drogba 2.63
Eden Hazard 0.76
Yaya Toure 0.38
Manager
Del Bosque 21.54
Jose Mourinho 15.45
Roberto Di Matteo 11.38
Marcelo Bielsa 10.57
Jurgen Klopp 9.77
Tite 9.35
Diego Simeone 8.94
Herve Renard 7.31
Rene Girard 4.06
Luis Tena 1.63
Team
Spain 32.00
Juventus 12.00
Zambia 9.78
Chelsea 9.33
Atletico Madrid 8.88
Corinthians 8.45
Universidad 8.00
Borussia Dortmund 5.78
Montpellier 4.00
Mexico Olympic 1.78
Panel votes
Player
Lionel Messi 54.54%
Cristiano Ronaldo 19.09
Andres Iniesta 12.73
Iker Casillas 4.54
Andrea Pirlo 2.73
Mohamed Aboutrika 0.91
Sergio Ramos 0.91
Radamel Falcao 0.91
Didier Drogba 0.91
Juan Mata 0.91
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 0.91
Xavi 0.91
Manager
Vincente Del Bosque 35.45
Roberto Di Matteo 12.73
Jurgen Klopp 10.90
Jose Mourinho 9.09
Herve Renard 6.36
Diego Simeone 5.45
Pep Guardiola 5.45
Antonio Conte 3.64
Luis Tena 3.64
Roberto Mancini 1.81
Cesare Prandelli 1.81
Alex Ferguson 0.91
Rene Girard 0.91
Jorge Sampaoli 0.91
Theo Bucker 0.91
Marcelo Bielsa 0.91
Team
Spain 62.73
Zambia 7.27
Barcelona 7.27
Chelsea 6.36
Real Madrid 5.45
Borussia Dortmund 2.73
Juventus 2.73
Montpellier 1.81
Al Ahly 0.91
Manchester United 0.91
Atletico Madrid 0.91
Bayern Munich 0.91
Manchester City 0.91
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Absolutely stupid
Real Madrid beat Barcelona in La Liga, get a 100 point record, and has less votes.
Xabi Alonso did a better season (won Liga, amazing Euro, better than Xavi, and defeated Barcelona again in SuperCopa) and he isn’t the best XI team. And Xavi is in it?
Who made this whole votation? Sandro Rosell and Pito Vilanova?
Up MESSI the special gift to the universe of soccer
lionel messi the greatest player of all time,he deserved this award for sure.
Hi there!
it´s looks very fine that leo messi have won this award.but 100 % i´m not agreey with number 2 jose mourinho, i live in spain and number 2 must have gon to pep guardiola.
beacouse he won in one year copa de muindial and kings cup title meanwil morinho have just won spanish leauge which was gifted by spanish refrees to real madrid.
messi the greatest,javimgol,you’re stupid.
Ibra is much better player than Falcao.
For the heartbroken Madrid fan above, take a look at who voted: a mixture of a popular vote and a massive panel of experts from every part of the world. It’s all documented. Go drown in your tears.
@javimgol, Are you blind?
Reader Votes:
========================
Lionel Messi 40.13 %
Cristiano Ronaldo 18.94
Radamel Falcao 10.99
JAVIMGOL, i think you forgot to write “I am” at the beggining of your comment. You’re welcome.
JAVIMGOL, i think you forgot to start your comment with “I am”. You’re welcome.
Nope, the whole list was compiled the special FIVE Sour-in-ho and his papa Perez.
It’s ridicoulous. Why CR has more votes than Messi in WS XI, but Messi wins the WS? ¿Pur qué?
Javimgol if you think that Xavi Alonso is better than Xavi, you have a problem.
Javimgol if you think that Xabi Alonso is better than Xavi, you have a problem.
@javimgol: Tissue sir?
Awfully glad to see Don Vicente finally get some of the recognition he deserves.
Leave another tissue pack for Osiris.
Messi Is the best
Javimgol, you can read stupid comments from stupid journalists in MARCA in the WC and cry.
Messi best of the bestt!! Haters need ointment for their burns
Messi and Falcao.
The bests
Always the Gold boy (MESSI) in the top
Neymar the best!
stupid vote best team ist germany
best 4 player
filipp laham
thomas muller
mario gomez
cristiano ronaldo
pepe
ONLY MESSI …
@javimgol:
)
so if you think xabi alonso is better than Xavi, i think you have also to consider raul albiol. he also had won la liga & euro winner with less played & effort. LOL, that’ why i can’t stop laughing
Big UP to ZAMBIA! Second Best in the world, now thats something. Congrats to their coach Herve Renard as well.
just c.ronaldo
Grande la @UdeChile!! @iammarkoto
Thanks @UdeChile // @iammarkoto TT
MESSI YOU ARE THE BEST
messi only one.
Who choose this as a best player what he won until now Just Spain Cup And compare him With Ronaldo position he is winger and he win La Liga, Super Cup and he could go up to Europe Semi final it is shame for FIFA that candidate Messi as a best player
hehe alonso better than xavi? ask alonso n surely he gona b shy………4 messi he deserve every club n individual awards….. kip up our boy
LEO MESSI
I was convince of Messi’s performance …he truely deserves it..the greatest ever
Well done to leo master messi, now ballon dor(world player of the year). Ronaldo should learn from the master messi maybe then he’ll be able to achieve those feats
Messi the king
I cannot believe that half of the people thinks Messi is NOT the best in the world. That should be universally accepted by now.
Messi is the best in this world
Lionel messi is the world best of the year because he deserve it.
It not funny that some still doubt messi as football genius, of cos some have eyes but cannot see, so they need deliverance to enable them see and reason correctly. Pls javimgo u can visit TB JOSHUA Of nigeria 4 ur deliverance section.up MESSI.