Barcelona’s Lionel Messi during the LFP 2014-2015 season award ceremony in Barcelona on Tuesday. (AFP)

AFP/Barcelona


Barcelona star Lionel Messi, the favourite to win FIFA’s prestigious Ballon d’Or title, was on Monday voted the top striker in the Spanish league last season ahead of Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
It is the sixth time that the Argentinian has won the title in seven editions of the trophy given by the Spanish football league, with the prize presented during a gala ceremony in Barcelona on Monday night.
Messi, who scored 43 goals and was the catalyst for Barcelona’s run to three titles last season—the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Cup—was selected following a computer analysis of the players’ statistics in the championship.
“I’m proud to receive this award ahead of  so many important players in La Liga,” said Messi. “This award in particular I want to dedicate to my son Thiago (aged 3) even if he still doesn’t understand very well. Every time I leave the house he gets angry and asks me: ‘Papa, are you going again to score goals?’ This award is for him.”
Messi also won the vote for the best striker following a poll of the captains of each of Spain’s top flight sides.
Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo was voted the best goalkeeper and Luis Enrique top coach while Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez were named best defender and midfielder respectively.
Valencia’s Algerian midfielder Sofiane Feghouli was voted the top African player and Barcelona’s Brazilian striker Neymar, the best player from the American continent. Real Madrid’s Portuguese star Ronaldo, who scored the most La Liga goals last season with 48, won the publics’ choice award. Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar were all named shortlist for FIFA’s Ballon d’Or which will be awarded on January 11.  While Ronaldo has triumphed over the last two seasons (in a total of three wins), Messi has previously claimed the coveted award four times while Neymar makes the shortlist for the first time. Neymar, 23, said it was “a great honour” to be named for the first time alongside his illustrious La Liga rivals.

Luis Enrique sad to see Suarez miss out on Ballon d’Or
Barcelona boss Luis Enrique admitted he feels for Luis Suarez after the Uruguayan missed out on joining teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar as one of the three finalists for the 2015 Ballon d’Or.
“As a coach I always want all my players to be on all the awards lists, but you have to understand that there are other players from other teams of a very good level,” Enrique said on Tuesday ahead of Barca’s Copa del Rey tie against third-tier Villanovense.
Enrique also insisted that Messi should walk away with another prize in Zurich after being nominated for the best goal of the year for his sensational solo effort in the final of the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao.
Messi’s strike is up against Alessandro Florenzi’s incredible long-range effort against Barcelona for Roma back in September and Brazilian Wendell Lira, but Enrique believes the setting of Messi’s goal in a Cup final gives it added value.
“It is more difficult to beat four or five players in a Cup final. The other one is in a Champions League group game and obviously has its merit. Florenzi is a player with a spectacular shot, but for me Messi’s has more merit.”