Rapinoe And Messi Win Ballon d’Or

Argentinian Lionel Messi and USA star Megan Rapinoe have won this year’s Ballon d’Or awards, presented this week in Paris.

For Messi it was a record breaking sixth award, one more than Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I am very lucky, I am blessed. I hope I will continue for a long time,” Messi told reporters.

“I realize that I’m lucky even if one day it will be time to retire.

“It will be tough, but I still have some years ahead of me. Time flies, so I will enjoy football and my family.”

Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dyk came second, beating Ronaldo who finished third in the voting.

Megan Rapinoe won the award for her contribution to the USA’s World Cup victory last summer. 

Rapinoe, who wasn’t in attendance at the awards ceremony, scored six goals in the tournament, earning the Golden Boot as the top scorer and the Golden Ball as the top player.

Rapinoe is only the second woman to receive the award in this newly created catagory which was won last year by Norway’s Ada Hegerberg won it. 

Rapinoe beat off competion from her team mate Alex Morgan who came third. England’s  Lucy Bronze was the runner up.