Barcelona star Lionel Messi has received the highly coveted Ballon d'Or prize, for being named the European Footballer of the Year. The diminutive Argentine beat out closest rival Cristiano Ronaldo, of Real Madrid, by a huge margin of 240 points, to pick up the award which is voted for by journalists and organised by France Football magazine. He becomes the sixth Barcelona player to bag the honours, and the first in four years since Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho won it.