Lionel Messi Won 2011 Fifa Ballon d'Or And Third Consecutive Player Of The Year Award.

Name: Lionel MESSI

Club: FC Barcelona

Country: Argentina

Position: Forward

Date of Birth: 24 June 1987 (age 24)

Defining moment of 2011: Running through the Madrid defence at the Bernabeu to score a stunning second in a 2-0 Champions League semi-final win


The three-time winner stuck to players from his club and nation when voting and set his sights on winning the World Cup in 2014. Lionel Messi revealed that he stayed faithful to his Barcelona and Argentina team-mates when it came to casting his own votes for the 2011 Fifa Ballon d'Or.The 24-year-old lifted his third consecutive Player of the Year award on Monday evening, equalling the record of Michel Platini.

"I am enjoying the fact that today my nation feels proud of me, prouder than they ever have before. It is something brilliant, they are showing me that [pride] and I appreciate in the prizes I have received and the recognition from both my country and my home city in more than anything is the love of the people and i noticed it in the short time I was in Buenos Aires and Rosario, walking in the street a young boy came up to me to i feel loved."

Messi's Barcelona won the Primera Division, Supercopa, Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup in 2011 to 3rd straight Ballon d'Or success for Messi, who has now won the 1st two awards and the prestigious prize was merged with Fifa's World Player of the Year gong in 2010.

Messi was the clear favourite to claim the title after helping Barca to a third straight Liga title in 2011 and a second Champions League success in three years to a Argentine reveived 47.88 per cent of the overall vote, Cristiano claiming 21.6% and Xavi in third with 9.23%.

And Cruyff, who has watched Messi emerge at Barca over the last few years, believes the Argentine can go on to claim the award six or seven times and the argentine scored 59 goals in 70 appearances for club and country in 2011, including 55 in 57 for Barcelona. He also racked up an incredible 35 assists in the calendar year.

Scottish Premier League

The Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers have both been drawn against Scottish Premier League opposition in the 5th round of the Scottish Cup in holders the Hoops will go up against the winners of the 4th round replay between SPL newcomers Dunfermline Athletic and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who were dumped out by Celtic at the quarter-final stage last season.

Rangers, who crashed out In the round's other all-SPL tie, Hearts go up against fellow league high-fliers St Johnstone in Hibernian will take on the winner of the replay between 1st division Dundee and Kilmarnock at the 5th round last year and they face a tough home tie against Dundee United.

A draw has been kind to last year's runners-up Motherwell, who will face Greenock Morton, Aberdeen have also drawn lower league opposition in Queen of the South and the remaining ties will see Ross County take on the victor of the replay between Hamilton Academical and St Mirren, Ayr United go up against Falkirk.

Draw for fifth round of Scottish Cup:

Hibernian v Dundee/Kilmarnock

Motherwell v Greenock Morton

St Mirren/Hamilton Academical v Ross County

Inverness Caledonian Thistle/Dunfermline v Celtic

Ayr United v Falkirk

Rangers v Dundee United

Hearts v St Johnstone

Aberdeen v Queen of the South

FINAL THREE: Who should win the 2011 Fifa Ballon d'Or?

Lionel Messi Won:

2007: Third

2008: Second

2009: Winner

2010: Winner

Cristiano Ronaldo Won:

2007: Second

2008: Winner

2009: Second

Xavi Won:

2009: Third

2010: Third

On Monday January 9 in Zurich, the best player in the world for 2011 will be crowned and a 3rd year in a row, the Fifa Ballon d'Or to previously just the Ballon d'Or is dominated by players who ply their craft in Spain's La Liga.

The Reigning world player of the year Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Argentina, last year 2nd runner-up Xavi of Barcelona, Spain and 2008 winner Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Portugal are the 3 nominees for the 2011 award in the same three finalists in the 2009 edition.

Who should win the 2011 Fifa Ballon d'Or?

Cristiano Ronaldo 47.71%

Lionel Messi 43.32%

Xavi 8.96%

Villa Striker Darren Bent No contact From Liverpool

Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish insists he has not had any contact with Liverpool about a possible move for Darren Bent and the rumours have suggested Liverpool are weighing up a move for Bent as they look to bring in cover in a attack with Luis Suarez currently serving an 8 game ban for theracially abusing Patrice Evra.

He Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner and McLeish had all previously said the England international was going nowhere and McLeish insists they would not consider selling the former Tottenham and Sunderland man and we have not heard a thing from Liverpool," said McLeish aware of the speculation.

There has been no contact with this club and I think you've had three parties telling you that even if there was contact, we would not entertain that (selling Bent) for we wouldn't want to entertain selling our top scorer of last season. He is a prolific marksman.

Personal life for a born in Tooting, London, Bent is of Jamaican descent to his father, Mervyn Bent, was a player in the youth systems of Wimbledon and Brentford and he moved to Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire at age of 10 and played for the Godmanchester Rovers youth system.

International career for a Bent has represented England at under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-19, under-21 and senior levels to he made his under-16 debut against Finland on 31 July 2000, making 10 appearances and scoring three goals for the team with his last appearance coming against Finland on 27 February 2001 in he retained his place for England's Euro 2012 qualifier with Wales to make his 1st competitive international start on 26 March 2011 in scoring England's second goal he took his tally to 3 goals in his last 3 matches.

Rio Ferdinand Says Manchester City Did United a Favour Out to Create History

Rio Ferdinand is confident Manchester United can overhaul Manchester City in the title race after admitting the 6-1 humiliation in October provided an important wake-up call and the Red Devils will be looking to draw level on points in the local rivals at the top of the table on Wednesday night when they travel to St James' Park to face Newcastle.

A United have been in fine form over the past couple of months and traditionally grow stronger during the second half of a campaign in they became league champions for a record-breaking 19th time last term and Ferdinand believes they will again emerge triumphant he asked what United have got in their favour, Ferdinand said in The Sun: "Loads of things. I don't like to say we've got this and you have not.

The Ferdinand has been proud of the way United have performed since bowing out of the UEFA Champions League at the group stage, especially as Ferguson's resources have been stretched to the limit in the defender added, we have got a crazy amount of injuries and illnesses, yet we're still managing to get the results and long may that continue a most important thing is the way the squad is playing now to the manager has said at the beginning of the season it's not about 11 men in since we went out of the Champions League we've shown a great resolve in our squad.

Uefa President Michel Platini

A Uefa president Michel Platini salutes ownership structure of both Barcelona and Real Madrid and the Frenchman believes that clubs should belong to and be answerable to their supporters and cites the two Spanish sides as the best examples of this ethos.

The Uefa president Michel Platini has hailed the ownership model employed by both Barcelona and Real Madrid to the two Primera Division giants belong to and are effectively answerable to their fans in those who are fully enlisted members of the club.

This system, which allows supporters to have a greater say in the running of their club, is most desirable, according to Platini to i love the management structure of Real Madrid and Barcelona because the members remain responsible for the club and their decisions, the former Juventus man told L’Equipe and the both preserve their identity and the popularity of football lies precisely in the fact that there are such strong ties with the fans.

And the Football is popular because of its human values and that includes its mistakes,” he argued to “If we are to prioritise the business value, then we will lose that popularity and the ootball is great as it is even with its injustices, like that Germany-France semi-final in 1982, or with the hand of [Diego] Maradona. Or [Thierry] Henry to the despite Platini’s in Fifa president Sepp Blatter recently admitted that video technology could be introduced in time for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

City Midfielder Nigel de Jong Still in Roberto Mancini's Plans

Manager Roberto Mancini insists out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong remains an integral part of his plans and he made his first start since November at Sunderland on New Year's Day and was removed at half-time by Mancini to the Netherlands international, who had a spell out in August and September with a foot injury is out of contract at the end of next season and is yet to agree a new deal.

A Speculation has surfaced over whether the 27-year-old will remain at Ethiad Stadium but Mancini still regards him as an important player and the manager said, Nigel had too many problems when we started the season for the two months off for injury.

The After this the squad played a different system with two strikers, two offensive players like wingers and only two midfielders in this reason Nigel did not play a lot of games but he is still an important player is no change in this situation and now he can play to i think it is normal that one player, when he doesn't play, is frustrated to for him it is difficult but now we are playing 5 games in 16 days and we need our players.