Already considered one of soccer's greats at age 24, Lionel Messi on Monday became the first to win FIFA player of the year three times in a row.
The Barcelona and Argentina forward received the FIFA Ballon d'Or award for 2011, beating club teammate Xavi Hernandez and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.
"It's a huge honor," Messi said after accepting the trophy from retired Brazilian great Ronaldo.
The only other three-time winners are Ronaldo (1996-97, 2002) and Zinedine Zidane (1998, 2000, 2003). The FIFA award was renamed last year when it merged with France Football's Golden Ball.
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