Messi's enduring brilliance rewarded with another Ballon d'Or

Some might question whether Lionel Messi really deserved to win his latest Ballon d'Or prize ahead of other worthy candidates, but the Argentinian has been rewarded for continuing to be so good for so long.

The most turbulent year of Messi's glittering career, in which he was forced to tearfully bid farewell to Barcelona, ends with him –- at the age of 34 -- claiming a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world.

In Germany they thought it had to be Robert Lewandowski's year after he missed out 12 months ago when the 2020 edition was scrapped due to the pandemic.

Karim Benzema might have had plenty of support in Spain for his remarkable performances with Real Madrid, and Jorginho could stake a claim following a year in which he won the Champions League with Chelsea as well as Euro 2020 with Italy.

Yet it is the enduring brilliance of Messi -– who won the last award in 2019 -- which stays in the minds of the jurors when it comes to voting.

Having joined Paris Saint-Germain in August, he is the first male player to win the award while with a French club since Jean-Pierre Papin of Marseille in 1991, although it was his achievements with Barcelona and with Argentina that counted towards him effectively retaining his crown.

Messi tried unsuccessfully to force his departure from Barcelona in August 2020 but he showed no signs of rancour as he stayed put at the Camp Nou and ended last season with 38 goals in 48 games for his boyhood club.

Alexia Putellas also grew up dreaming of playing for Barcelona and after clinching the treble of league, cup and Champions League last season, her status as a women's footballing icon was underlined as she claimed the Ballon d'Or on Monday.

Unlike the men's side, Barca's women swept the board last term with the 27-year-old, who wears "Alexia" on the back of her shirt, at the forefront, months before Lionel Messi's emotional departure.

Attacker Putellas, who turns 28 in February, spent her childhood less than an hour's car journey from the Camp Nou and she made her first trip to the ground from her hometown of Mollet del Valles, for the Barcelona derby on January 6, 2000.