Lionel Messi wins fifth Ballon d'Or: Was 2015 his best ever year?

After back-to-back wins for Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi took the Ballon d'Or for 2015 at the FIFA awards ceremony in Zurich on Monday evening.

Messi helped Barcelona to victory in the Copa del Rey, La Liga, Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup and Club World Cup last year.

The only disappointment came in the Copa America, where hosts Chile defeated Argentina in a penalty shootout in the final.

But where did 2015 rank in relation to Messi's other Ballon d'Or winning years? Was this the year that the best got better? We assess each of his triumphs…

2009

Messi's first sextuple came in 2009 when Barcelona enjoyed unprecedented success in Pep Guardiola's first season in charge. In the 2008/09 season, Barca completed the first ever treble in Spanish football history with Messi scoring in the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao.

In Europe, he was the top scorer in the Champions League, heading home in the final against Manchester United. Messi capped an amazing year by scoring an extra-time winner against Estudiantes in the Club World Cup final and went on to win his first Ballon d'Or by the greatest voting margin in the history of the award.

2010

Messi's goal output increased in 2010 having switched from the right wing to a central striking role. He was the dominant figure in La Liga, scoring 34 times in the 2009/10 season as Barca cruised to another title and even netted four in one game against Arsenal in a Champions League tie.

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However, Barca were beaten by Inter in the semi-final and Messi only showed a flickering of his genius at that summer's World Cup before Argentina were blown away by Germany in the last eight. But there was still a hat-trick in the Spanish Super Cup final and a second successive Ballon d'Or win.

2011

Barca won La Liga again in the 2010/11 season with Messi scoring 31 goals and also providing 18 assists, but the little magician's year will be best remembered for his Champions League heroics. He was the top scorer in the competition for a third successive season as Barcelona lifted the trophy at Wembley. He starred in a semi-final win over Real Madrid before delivering a man of the match performance against Manchester United in the final.

Once again there was disappointment at international level as Argentina were knocked out by Uruguay on home soil in the Copa America but he completed the year with a brace in the Club World Cup final and became only the fourth player after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten to win a third Ballon d'Or.

2012

Guardiola's final year in charge of Barca saw the club lose their grip on La Liga, but the goals kept coming for Messi. He netted an astonishing 50 of them in the 2011/12 league season. Messi was also top scorer in the Champions League for a fourth consecutive season, netting five times in one game against Bayer Leverkusen, but missed a crucial penalty in a semi-final defeat to Chelsea.

Messi scored in the club's Copa del Rey win so there was some silverware to celebrate but his 2012 was all about the goals. He finished the 2011/12 season having scored 73 times - breaking the single-season scoring record in European club football. By the end of the calendar year, he'd scored 91 goals for club and country in 2012 - duly winning the Ballon d'Or for a record fourth time.

2015

Messi had endured a relative dip in form before he bounced back in style in 2015. His masterful performances helped Barcelona to yet another Champions League win, with Messi instrumental in seeing off Manchester City, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich, against whom he bagged a brace in the first leg, before beating Juventus in the final.

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Barca also won La Liga, with Messi scoring 43 goals in the 2014/15 season and topping the assists table too, but it was his opening goal in the Copa del Rey final that was arguably his most memorable individual moment of 2015. Slaloming beyond the Athletic Bilbao defenders before drilling home, it was one of the great cup final goals and played its part in Messi winning his fifth Ballon d'Or.

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