Lionel Messi, Barcelona and More Named Winners at Globe Soccer Awards 2015
Barcelona star Lionel Messi was crowned as the Best Player of the Year at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday, a ceremony that the Blaugrana, including president Josep Maria Bartomeu, dominated.
As reported by Matt Maltby of the Daily Mail, not only did Messi pick up his gong, but the La Liga giants also won Best Club of the Year, while Bartomeu won Best President of the Year.
The latest accolade capped off a year of great success for the Barcelona No. 10. Indeed, his side recently won the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, making it five major honours for the year, three of which came at the end of the 2014-15 season, when the Blaugrana secured a historic treble.
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“It's very nice to receive these awards, but I always say that the team makes it possible," Messi said, per Maltby. “It's been an extraordinary year.”
Bartomeu was an interesting choice as the standout club president after a turbulent year for the 52-year-old. In September, Bartomeu was asked to provide a written defence to allegations of tax fraud during Neymar’s transfer from Santos to the Camp Nou.
Speaking after picking up the award, Bartomeu paid tribute to the quality of the players who have helped lead Barca to a memorable 2015.
“It is difficult to win everything we have won,” he said, per Marca. “We enjoy our football, and our philosophy, and our aim is to make people happy. This year we will be trying to win once again. With Messi and the others that is easy. They are playing better and better and we hope things go on like that.”
Aside from those categories, New York City FC stars Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard received awards for their distinguished playing careers, while Jorge Mendes received Agent of the Year honours. The Best Coach of the Year was Belgium’s Marc Wilmots after he guided the Red Devils to the summit of the FIFA world ranking.
Spanish football journalist Rafael Hernandez commented on Mendes' influence on these awards, having been named as the best agent for five years in a row:
Few will disagree with Messi winning the main award of the night, though. Throughout 2015, he has been back to his best in Barcelona colours, making key contributions at vital times for his side and flourishing alongside fellow attackers Luis Suarez and Neymar.
As we can see here, courtesy of OptaJose, the trio have been critical to a tremendous year for the Blaugrana, totting up an incredible number of goals:
The awards are unlikely to stop there for Messi. The winner of the Ballon d’Or, handed to the world’s best player, will be named by FIFA in early 2016, and according to Oddschecker, the Barcelona No. 10 is the big favourite to sample glory ahead of Neymar and the gong’s previous winner, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
While Messi will be appreciative of the accolades, he seems more driven to taste success with the team. History beckons for Barcelona next year, too, as they look to become the first team to retain the Champions League title in its current format.
Despite all of the acclaim he’s received, don’t expect Messi’s desire to succeed with the Blaugrana to diminish in 2016.
