Barcelona

The `Flea´ received almost half of the votes (47.88%), by 21.60% of Christian, Silver Ball, and 9.23% of Xavi, Bronze Ball

Leo Messi returned to take over the Golden Ball, the third in his career, and consecutively. The Argentine beat Cristiano Ronaldo, second, and Xavi, third, who completed the podium of the best players of 2011. Ronaldo was the one who assisted him by giving the prize.

The coaches, captains and correspondents of France Football again opted for Messi after another huge season in which he won five titles: League, European Cup, Super Cup in Spain, European Super Cup and Club World Cup.

The Argentine scored a 47.88% of the vote, by 21.60% to 9.23% Christian and Xavi. Iniesta (6.01%) was the fourth most votes and Rooney, Luis Suarez, Forlan, Etoo, Casillas (1.29%) and Neymar completed the list of the top ten.

The `Flea´ gets his third Golden Ball, which to date had only managed to Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten. Of these three only French took three awards in a row (1983. 1984 and 1985), which has been Messi Barcelona´s shirt in the last three years (2009, 2010 and 2011).

Messi received the Golden Ball Ronaldo hands and ended up leaving a message to his partner Xavi: "You too deserve it and for me it´s a pleasure to be with you in the court."

The most successful coach in the history of Argentine football also got rid of praise for Barcelona, ​​which he considered the best team in history

Coach Carlos Bianchi said today that the Argentine striker Lionel Messi is "superior" to his compatriot Diego Maradona and Brazilian Pele.

"The demonstration collective Football Barcelona to crush the Saints in the final of Club World makes me feel confident to issue a statement: we are in the presence of the best team ever. Something similar happens to me about Lionel Messi" , said in his column in the ESPN site.

"Some days ago I gave a talk to a company and in the middle of the conference, a Brazilian who asked me I thought as the best footballer in history: Pele or Maradona. And I said that with all the respect I deserved the two, now I see Messi above all, "he said.

For the coach multichampion with Argentine Boca Juniors and Velez Sarsfield, "the claim that to be the best ever has to come first world champion with his selection is very trivial."

"There were great players who did not need or could not play in big teams to show all his class. Beyond what has happened or will happen when you put the Argentina shirt, Messi confirms each week that is capable of things no one had done so now in the history of football, "he said.

"It will take a long time to bring up a player like him. I simply tip my hat to their capacity," he added.

On the Barcelona said that "we must give in to this team that is unique in the history of world football, knowing what they are hateful and complicated comparisons between different times."

"Only three teams found that they could just try to be compared to this modern Barcelona. Thanks to the extraordinary monopoly of the ball end up becoming impotent to whoever planted it on. Thus, viewers have the opportunity to see not only a nearly perfect machine to play football, but also all kinds of goals, one more beautiful than the other", he added.

"Do not touch the ball is a difficult thing. Even if you have the ball I want to open spaces." "I want to win, no matter the goal. The important thing is that the Saints remain champion."

Neymar recognized before the Club World Cup final that Messi is the best in the world and even tries to copy him, but said that the end is not a duel between the Argentine and him. "Grief is not Messi-Neymar, but between two teams that can make history. Messi influences me, but not just Messi, there are many: Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Robinho ... What makes Messi is amazing is the number one in some plays do you copy ".

It is not the first time Neymar played in Japan, which already played for Brazil sub 15. "It`s different from the last time. I came for the first time sub 15 with Brazil and were warm. A lot of people know me, not expecting it, I knew that I knew so much."

The star of Santos recognizes the importance of the final for his club. "It`s important for me, for my teammates and the club, you can open a page in history. I am calm, I`m not nervous. I know there are a great team in front, but no matter the opponent, it matters football."

Asked if he expected a game that does not touch the ball a lot for the amount of possession that is normally in the Barcelona, ​​said: "Do not touch the ball is a difficult thing. Even if you have the ball I want to open spaces. If I have or no, I want to combine with my colleagues, I have very good partners. Let`s play football, our football show. I`ll catch the ball and play as usual. "

Neymar said he`s not obsessed with being the star of the final, but the Saints win. "I came to win this final. I get to play against the greatest team the world, my biggest dream is to win the title. I want to win, no matter the goal. The important thing is that the Saints remain champion. My only responsibility is to help team. " The tip was measured at one of his best friends in the Brazilian team, Dani Alves. "Alves is a good friend, came to see me and we joked. Friendship is outside the field. Is A great player and a great person."

Neymar was questioned about his future and if we could go to Barcelona. "I made a good choice staying at the Saints, so we`re happy. I`m very happy. Many clubs are interested and makes me feel very proud. Barcelona or Real Madrid were interested, but to play against Barcelona is a pride. The future depends God, I am now Santos player. I`m proud of playing against Messi, Xavi, Alves ...".

Messi nominated for best male athlete of the year for the third consecutive Messi´s team, FC Barcelona, ​​among the candidates for Best Team of the Year Abidal Award nominee for Best comeback after recovering from cancer The Laureus World Sports Awards will be held in London on February 6

The European champions, Barcelona, ​​and two of their star players, Messi and Abidal have been nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards (Laureus World Sports Awards) 2012.

Barca is among Laureus Award nominees for Best Team of the Year for the fourth time and Messi has been nominated for the third consecutive Laureus Award for Best International Male Athlete, while the Frenchman Abidal is a candidate for the Laureus Award Best international comeback year after recovering from cancer.

The Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia has also been nominated, along with Abidal, Laureus Award for Best comeback after putting an end to three years without being able to win with victories in two tournaments in a row.

A brilliant constellation of the best stars of the sport has been nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards 2012, after the vote on the media around the world.

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognize sporting achievement of 2011, are the main prizes of the international sporting calendar. The names of the winners, voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, a team of 47 supreme judges of the best sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be announced at a ceremony televised awards from London on Monday 6 of February.

The money raised directly benefits and supports the work of the Charity Foundation Laureus Sport for Good, which supports 89 community projects throughout the world sports. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over 40 million euros for projects that have improved the lives of over a million and half of young people.

In the category of Best Laureus international team of the year, Barcelona will face the New Zealand rugby, the All Blacks winning the Rugby World Cup, the winning team in the NBA, Dallas Mavericks, to the selection English cricket, the world´s No. 1, to the Japanese team that won women´s soccer Women´s World Cup and Formula 1 team Red Bull Formula, winning the constructors championship for the second consecutive year.

Messi will be the hope of becoming the first player in team history to win individual Laureus Award for Best international male athlete of the year. In this category are nominated Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, winner of two gold medals at the World Athletics Championships, the No. 1 tennis Novak Djokovic, winner of three Grand Slams (the Australia Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open States), the Australian cyclist Cadel Evans, winner of the Tour de France, and German Dirk Nowitzki, the first European player voted MVP of the NBA Finals and Sebastian Vettel, who was proclaimed World Champion Formula 1 for the second time consecutively.

Both Eric Abidal and Sergio Garcia have been nominated for Laureus Award for Best Comeback of the Year International. Despite having been diagnosed with a liver tumor two months ago and being treated for combat, Eric Abidal played 90 minutes of the final against Manchester United in which Barca won the Champions League. In a touching gesture to celebrate his recovery, Carles Puyol handed the captain´s armband for the match and was the first team member to receive the trophy.

In October 2011, the Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia put an end to three years without winning two tournaments wins in a row. Along with Abidal and Garcia, the other nominees are the golfer Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland, who recovered from a slump after the death of his wife and managed to win the Open, the Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, who won the silver medal in the World Athletics Championships, and the Crusaders and the Reds, two rugby teams that reached the final of the Super 15 despite having to cope with the earthquake in Christchurch and Queensland floods.

The full list of nominees for the Laureus World Sports Awards is:

Best international male athlete of the year

Usain Bolt- - Novak Djokovic - Cadel Evans - Lionel Messi - Dirk Nowitzki - Sebastian Vettel

Best international female athlete of the year

- Vivian Cheruiyot - Maria Riesch - Carmelita Jeter - Petra Kvitova - Homare Sawa - Yani Tseng

Best international team of the year

All Blacks Barcelona Dallas Mavericks England cricket Japanese women´s soccer selection Red Bull

Best International Breakthrough of the Year

- Yohan Blake - Mo Farah - Petra Kvitova - Rory McIlroy - Li Na - Oscar Pistorius

Best international comeback year

- Eric Abidal - Darren Clarke - Crusaders - Sergio Garcia - Liu Xiang - Queensland Reds

Disabled Sportsman of the Year International

- Daniel Dias - Terezinha Guilhermina - Oscar Pistorius - Esther Vergeer - David Weir - Irek Zaripov

Best athlete of the year international winger

- Jamie Bestwick - Philip Köster - Carissa Moore - Travis Rice - Kelly Slater - Shaun White