The Argentine won his fifth Ballon d'Or on Monday, a triumph that reflects his stronghold on soccer in the past seven years, writes Ben Hayward.
ZURICH — Lionel Messi is rewriting soccer history. Before the emergence of the Argentine attacker just more than a decade ago, the game's records were spread out among a select band of legends. Now there are hardly any left for anyone else.
No player had ever won four Ballons d'Or prior to Messi, let alone five. But at the age of just 28, the Barcelona forward claimed the prestigious prize for the fifth time in Zurich on Monday, and even if he fails to add to that tally in the next few years, it is unlikely to be beaten any time soon.