THE WORLD’S BEST PLAYMAKER 2016 : Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi keeps his crown !
Five times Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has won for the second time in raw the IFFHS Award of The World’s Best Playmaker !
Voters in 56 countries from all continents were so impressed again with the performances in 2016 by the 29 years old Argentinian that he finished with a runaway victory of 106 points, 29 points more than last year.
In 2015, Lionel Messi had gained a massive 168 points. In 2016, it was 172 points ! And always with the same second in ranking, his team mate Andres Iniesta, the winner of 2012 and 2013. The German Toni Kroos, winner in 2014, completed the podium.
This victory continued the domination by FC Barcelona of the Playmaker category. Since 2008, Xavi (4), Iniesta (2) and Messi (2) won all Awards, only Kroos, with one point more than Messi broke the run in 2014.
Riyad Mahrez, the Algerian Playmaker from Leicester FC, is the great newcomer in 2016 .
Ranking 2016
1 – Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona) 172 points
2 – Andres Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona) 66
3 – Tony Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid CF) 45
4 – Mesut Özil (Germany/Arsenal FC) 39
5 – Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Leicester City FC) 36
5 – Luka Modric (Croatia/Real Madrid CF) 36
7 – Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City FC) 31
8 – Paul Pogba (France/Juventus TorinoFC/Manchester United FC) 26
9 – Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea FC) 14
10- Dimitri Payet (France/West Ham United) 8
11- David Silva (Spain/Manchester City FC) 5
12- Neymar (Brasil/GC Barcelona) 3
12- Marek Hamsik (Slovakia/Napoli SSC) 3
14-Thiago Alcantara (Spain/FC Bayern München) 1
14-Javier Pastore (Argentina/Paris SG) 1