Barcelona Argentine clinches IFFHS award

Four-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has been named the Playmaker of the Year by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) for the first time in his spectacular career, having dislodged 2014 winner Toni Kroos.

Messi picked up an unassailable 168 points with the 2012 and 2013 winner Andrés Iniesta next in line on 91. Italian midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo completed the podium positions on 54, while Eden Hazard (Chelsea) and Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg/Manchester City) followed on 22.

Ivorian Yaya Touré (Manchester City) finished in sixth with 13 points, just ahead of Real Madrid trio Kroos (11), Luka Modric (11) and James Rodríguez (10).

In the refereeing department, the IFFHS named Nicola Rizzoli as the top official for a second consecutive year. The Italian picked up 80 points with Englishman Martin Atkinson eight points behind and Turk Cüneyt Çakir on 71. Spain's highest-placed representative was Carlos Velasco Carballo who came ninth with 11 points.