Football
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Lionel Messi doesn't think about being the best, despite Ballon d'Or win

Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi was awarded his fifth Ballon d'Or on Monday, but said he doesn't think much about who is the best.

Messi, 28, had finished behind long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in both 2013 and 2014, but was a clear winner of FIFA's top individual honour for a record fifth time in his career.

"I don't think about whether I am the best," Messi told ESPN Deportes. "I just enjoy the day-to-day and after all that if I am the best or not -- it doesn't change much."

After a year in which Barca won five trophies including the Champions League and La Liga title, the Blaugrana No. 10 had been an overwhelming favourite to take the prize.

"Obviously, I am very happy, very content and just trying to enjoy all this," he said. "This is always very special, of course the team is important but this is beautiful for the fans."

"I am very happy to be here, to be able to enjoy this. As you mentioned, to be here for -- I believe -- my ninth time. I am very happy."

Asked whether this current Barcelona side were the best in history, Messi said it would be close to call.

"I don't know if this is the best team, but they are spectacular with extraordinary players who are motivated and want to do impressive things," he said. "And we continue on this path to want to win everything.

"The mentality of the dressing room is important and the plan to put out new goals and go out and play hard is also important," he said. "We know it is always difficult to repeat but we try because we have the desire."

Messi said his reaction to apologise for scoring a goal against Argentine side River Plate was something that just happened and that he really didn't think about it.

The 28-year-old, the odds-on favourite to win his fifth Ballon d'Or, came back from a bout with kidney stones last month to score in Barcelona's 3-0 FIFA Club World Cup win over River Plate. After scoring his goal, he told reporters in Yokohama that he had not taken any extra pleasure from beating River in such a showpiece game, with proving that Barca were the world's best side being his only objective.

"As I said before, many people from River made the trip and it was a lot of sacrifice for the players," Messi said during a news conference in Zurich. "They put in a lot of effort and they had the dream of winning and it was up to me, an Argentina, to take that dream away."

Messi, Argentina's captain, scored the opening goal in the match as Barca lifted their third Club World Cup crown.

"After that first goal, it was in order that I apologise and it just came out of me," he said. "Obviously, every time I go out to play I want to win and happily, that is how it turned out."

Messi won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing but has not won any silverware with his country since, despite the Albiceleste reaching the final at both the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America.

Argentina have two chances for international success this year as they take part in the 2016 Centennial Copa America in the United States in June, following by the Olympic football tournament in Brazil in August.

"It was tough to watch [World Cup] qualifying from a distance [due to the injury], but the players stepped up and did a great job," said Messi, who injured his hamstring in September and missed the first round of qualifiers. "The last game was very good and made things less stressful because qualifying is tough and the other teams keep getting better.

"With the Copa America we have another chance coming up," he said of the 2016 event being held across the United States. "The national team has had the bad luck of not being able to win Copa America but we dream of getting together and winning this time.

"We are doing everything possible to win something for the national team. It is what we all want. But we were very close. We made it to the final of the World Cup and to the Copa America final. We haven't done a bad job. But we didn't win because of small details, small errors, but we didn't lose badly.

"I think what the fans want is a victory just like we do and we are trying our best. We have another chance and hope that we can do it."

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