Messi, Mourinho spoil Spanish party at FIFA award ceremony

Messi, Mourinho spoil Spanish party at FIFA award ceremony

Lionel Messi of Argentina, FIFA World Player of the Year holds his FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010 trophy during the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010 soccer awards ceremony in Zurich, Jan 10, 2011.

ZURICH - Argentina's Lionel Messi won the World Player of the Year for the second time in a row on Monday and Jose Mourinho walked off with the coach's award, leaving Spain's World Cup winners disappointed.

Messi surprisingly held off Barcelona team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi, second and third respectively, to win the newly-created FIFA Ballon D'Or, a fusion of the previously separate annual awards handed out by FIFA and France Football magazine.

Mourinho, now with Real Madrid, won the inaugural Coach of the Year award after leading Inter Milan to a Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup treble.

The honour went to the self-styled Special One, who described himself afterwards as "proudly Portuguese", at the expense of Spain's World Cup-winning coach Vicente del Bosque, second, and Barcelona's Pep Guardiola, third.

"The most important trophies for me are the collective ones, not the individual ones but this is a historic trophy for me and Portuguese football," Mourinho told reporters after edging Del Bosque with 35.92 percent of the votes against 33.08.

Lionel Messi of Argentina, FIFA World Player of the Year makes a speech as he stands next to his FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010 trophy during the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010 soccer awards ceremony in Zurich, Jan 10, 2011.

FIFA Men's Ballon d'Or of the Year 2010 nominee Andres Iniesta of Spain attends a press conference before the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala in Zurich Jan 10, 2011.

Spanish empty-handed

Iniesta and Xavi had been favourites after helping Spain win last year's World Cup while Messi had failed to score a goal or produce his best form at the tournament in South Afica.

"It was just good to be here with my team mates," said Messi, who looked as surprised as anyone by the result which was announced by Barcelona coach Guardiola.

"I'd like to share this with my team mates, without whom I would not be here, and...with all the Argentines."

Messi won surprisingly easily, polling 22.65 percent of the votes to Iniesta's 17.36 and Xavi's 16.48.

It was the first time the award had been made since the decision to unite FIFA's World Player of the Year award with France Football magazine's older Ballon D'Or.

Messi won both awards last season. The only Spanish winner of either prize was Luis Suarez who won the Ballon D'Or in 1960.

Spain's only consolation was that they had six players in the world team of the year, Iniesta and Xavi joined by Iker Casillas, David Villa, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique.

Brazilians Lucio and Maicon, Dutchman Wesley Sneijder, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi completed the line-up.

Jose Mourinho of Portugal, the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football, makes a speech during the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010 soccer awards ceremony in Zurich, Jan 10, 2011.

Hamit Altintop of Turkey reacts as he receives the FIFA Puska Award 2010 during the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010 soccer awards ceremony in Zurich, January 10, 2011.

Marta of Brazil, FIFA Women's World Player 2010 receives her trophy from FIFA President Sepp Blatter during the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010 soccer awards ceremony in Zurich, Jan 10, 2011.

(Agencies)