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Lionel Messi: 'It is a very special moment'

Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi pays tribute to his teammates after claiming the 2015 Ballon d'Or trophy ahead of Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi has insisted that he would not have been able to claim the Ballon d'Or trophy for a record fifth time if it were not for the help of his teammates.

The Argentine captain was awarded the top individual prize at Monday's gala in Zurich, beating Barcelona teammate Neymar and 2014 winner Cristiano Ronaldo to the prize.

The 28-year-old helped Barcelona win La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Club World Cup in 2015.

"It's a very special moment for me to back here on this stage after being in the audience, watching Ronaldo win. It's incredible that it's my fifth and much more than I ever dreamt of as a kid. I want to thank everyone who voted for me and all my teammates," said Messi.

"Without them, none of this would've happened. I thank football in general, both the bad and good because it's made me grow and learn. That's all and thank you for everything."

Messi's club coach Luis Enrique, meanwhile, was named the FIFA Coach of the Year in Zurich.

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The FIFA FIFPro World XI assembles on stage at Ballon d'Or Gala 2015 at the Kongresshaus on January 11, 2016
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2Real Madrid1393128111730
3Atletico MadridAtletico148512181329
4Villarreal137422521425
5Athletic Bilbao146532013723
6Osasuna146441922-322
7GironaGirona146352018221
8Mallorca146351312121
9Real BetisBetis145541616020
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11Celta Vigo145362224-218
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13Rayo Vallecano134451314-116
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16AlavesAlaves144191524-913
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19Espanyol133191226-1410
20Real ValladolidValladolid142391027-179


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