Messi surprised by FIFA award

Barcelona star Lionel Messi said it was a ‘wonderful surprise’ to win the FIFA Ballon d’Or ahead of team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

The 23-year-old Argentine was awarded FIFA’s top individual prize for the second straight year in Zurich on Monday, capping an astonishing 2010 for both club and country.

However, he admitted to feeling that Argentina’s failure at the World Cup in South Africa might count against him, particularly given Xavi and Iniesta were both part of the Spanish side which won the tournament.

“I’m happy, but I didn’t expect it because everyone had been talking so much about Xavi and Andres (Iniesta),” Messi said.

“They also deserved it for the wonderful year they had. They won the World Cup, which usually goes a long way to deciding who wins this award, and they both had big parts to play in that.”

“That’s why I thought one of them would be going up to collect the trophy. It was a wonderful surprise.”

“This is my second world player of the year award and I feel just as happy as I did the first time, if not more so. We’re going to enjoy it.”

Messi said Argentina’s poor showing in South Africa, where they were knocked out in the quarter finals, is still on his mind, but he hopes to erase that memory by winning the Copa America at home later this year.

“We didn’t have a bad World Cup but we didn’t achieve the goal we’d set ourselves, which was to be champions. That was the one big regret I have from last year,” Messi said.

“I want to achieve something big with the national side and (the Copa America) would be a great opportunity to do just that.”

Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho was named FIFA Coach of the Year after winning the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble with Inter Milan last season.

“What I want to do now is to go home, so I can celebrate with my family and savour the moment,” Mourinho said.

“But I’m such a terrible person, that I’m already thinking about trying to win Thursday’s game with Real Madrid.”

“I’m going to keep this trophy safe, because it’s part of my story and the story of those people who work with me, those who I love and who love me back.”