Lionel Messi has won the Fifa Ballon d’Or, a record fifth occasion he has won the crown for the world’s best player.
The 28-year-old has not finished outside the top two for the award since 2008 and ends Cristiano Ronaldo’s two year reign as the best player on the planet.
American international Carli Lloyd won the Women's World Player of the Year crown after guiding her side to World Cup triumph in Canada.
Having led Barcelona to a second treble in just six years few doubted Messi would regain top spot in the individual award, with bookmakers offering odds of 1/50 that he would regain the trophy.
Ronaldo, Zidane, Messi and more... Ballon d'Or winners through the years
The past year has seen the attacker firmly shake off his relative woes of recent years and few would now argue that he does not sit alongside Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff among the greatest players ever to have played the game.
Messi’s strike trident with Luis Suarez and fellow nominee Neymar, dubbed MSN, ended the 2014/15 season with a record tally of 122 goals, of which Messi himself contributed 58.
On the international stage Messi similarly impressed, though his trophy drought with Argentina continued after Chile defeated Gerardo Martino’s men on penalties.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the third nominee and the Real Madrid forward, despite his on-going rivalry with this year’s champion, admitted his admiration for the winner.
Speaking before the announcement the Portuguese star said of Messi: “His left foot is really good. I'd like to have that.”
“I'd like to have both feet,” Neymar responded.
The only disappointment of the night for Messi came as he lost out on the Puskas Award for the best goal of the year to Wendell Lira of Goianesia.
In the night's other awards Jill Ellis of the US women's team and Barcelona manager Luis Enrique took home coach of the year awards.
