Zurich, Switzerland – Lionel Messi broke another record on Monday as he became the first player to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or four straight times.
The award is given annually to the world's best player, and after a year in which Messi scored a record 91 goals for club and country in 2012, breaking the previous mark set by Gerd Muller in 1972, he finished ahead of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta respectively.
Brazilian striker Ronaldo and French midfielder Zinedine Zidane both won the award three times, although neither did so in succession.
The United States women's national team had a good night at the awards as Abby Wambach captured her first FIFA Women's World Player of the Year honor, and former manager Pia Sundhage was named the top coach in the women's game.
Wambach, who netted five goals at the Olympics to help the U.S. win the gold medal, finished ahead of U.S. teammate Alex Morgan and Brazil's Marta, who won the award the previous five years.
Sundhage was named the top coach in the women's game ahead of Japan's Norio Sasaki and Bruno Bini of France after she guided the Americans to the gold medal at the Olympics this past summer before leaving to take over as Sweden's manager.
On the men's side, Spain's Vicente del Bosque received the 2012 FIFA Coach of the Year award after leading Spain to the Euro 2012 title.
Del Bosque finished ahead of Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho and former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola.
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