Lionel Messi won the prestigious FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the fifth time in his career at Monday’s ceremony, taking 41% of the vote.
Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo won 28% of the vote, whilst Neymar took 8% in his first top three finish.
The Argentine’s victory put an end to Ronaldo’s back-to-back awards and in the process Messi becomes the first player to win the award on five occasions.
Messi had been the bookmaker’s comfortable favourite prior to the announcement of the award which proved to be a comfortable victory. Below is a map of the world showing which player each country’s media voted (this does not include the country’s coach or captain’s votes).
Lionel Messi is in blue, Cristiano Ronaldo in red and none or other in white:
Click to enlarge
As you can see, Lionel Messi won the vote hands down when it came down to the world’s media. The Barcelona forward took 138 of the 171 votes (81%), compared to Ronaldo’s 22 votes (13%).
The fall list of votes are below:
| Country | Media | Captain | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Ronaldo | ||
| Albania | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Algeria | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| American Samoa | Neymar | Sánchez | |
| Andorra | Messi | Messi | |
| Angola | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Anguila | Messi | ||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Lewandowski | Messi | |
| Argentina | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Armenia | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Aruba | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Australia | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Austria | Messi | Neuer | Ronaldo |
| Azerbaijan | Neymar | Messi | Messi |
| Bahamas | Messi | Messi | |
| Bahrain | Ronaldo | ||
| Bangladesh | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Belarus | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Belgium | Messi | Hazard | Neuer |
| Belize | Messi | Ronaldo | |
| Benin | Messi | ||
| Bermuda | Messi | Messi | Lewandowski |
| Bhutan | Ronaldo | Ronaldo | |
| Bolivia | Suárez | ||
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Botswana | Ronaldo | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Brazil | Messi | Messi | Neymar |
| British Virgin Islands | Messi | Messi | |
| Brunei | Ronaldo | Bale | |
| Bulgaria | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Burkina Faso | Ronaldo | Müller | |
| Burundi | Messi | Messi | |
| Cambodia | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Cameroon | Ronaldo | Yaya Touré | Ronaldo |
| Canada | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Cape Verde Islands | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Cayman Islands | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Chad | Messi | Messi | |
| Chile | Messi | Messi | |
| China PR | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Colombia | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Congo | Messi | ||
| Cook Islands | Ronaldo | Messi | Bale |
| Costa Rica | Messi | Neymar | Iniesta |
| Croatia | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Cuba | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Curaçao | Messi | Ibrahimović | Neymar |
| Cyprus | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Czech Republic | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Denmark | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Djibouti | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Dominica | Messi | Agüero | |
| Dominican Republic | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| DR Congo | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Ecuador | Messi | Neymar | Ronaldo |
| Egypt | Ronaldo | Messi | Messi |
| El Salvador | Messi | ||
| England | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Eritrea | Ronaldo | ||
| Estonia | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Ethiopia | Messi | ||
| Faroe Islands | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Fiji | Mascherano | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Finland | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| France | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| FYR Macedonia | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Gabon | Messi | ||
| Gambia | Ronaldo | ||
| Georgia | Ronaldo | Messi | Messi |
| Germany | Messi | Neuer | Neuer |
| Ghana | Messi | Messi | Neymar |
| Greece | Messi | ||
| Grenada | Yaya Touré | ||
| Guam | Messi | Messi | |
| Guatemala | Messi | Mascherano | Mascherano |
| Guinea | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Guinea-Bissau | Messi | Ronaldo | |
| Guyana | Messi | ||
| Haiti | Messi | ||
| Honduras | Messi | Ronaldo | Neymar |
| Hong Kong | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Hungary | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Iceland | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| India | Ronaldo | Messi | Sánchez |
| Indonesia | Messi | ||
| Iran | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Iraq | Messi | ||
| Israel | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Italy | Messi | ||
| Ivory Coast | Yaya Touré | Messi | Messi |
| Jamaica | Messi | Neuer | |
| Japan | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Jordan | Ronaldo | Messi | |
| Kazakhstan | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Kenya | Suárez | ||
| Kuwait | Messi | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | Messi | Ibrahimović | Lewandowski |
| Laos | Messi | Messi | |
| Latvia | Messi | Lewandowski | Messi |
| Lebanon | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Lesotho | Messi | ||
| Liberia | Ronaldo | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Libya | Messi | ||
| Liechtenstein | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Lithuania | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Luxembourg | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Macau | Ronaldo | Messi | Messi |
| Madagascar | Ronaldo | Messi | Messi |
| Malawi | Messi | ||
| Malaysia | Messi | Ronaldo | Yaya Touré |
| Maldives | Messi | Messi | Lewandowski |
| Mali | Messi | ||
| Malta | Ronaldo | Müller | Messi |
| Mauritania | Messi | Mascherano | Messi |
| Mauritius | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Mexico | Messi | Messi | Müller |
| Moldova | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Mongolia | Ronaldo | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Montenegro | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Montserrat | Lewandowski | Messi | |
| Morocco | Messi | Lewandowski | Messi |
| Mozambique | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Myanmar | Ronaldo | De Bruyne | |
| Namibia | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Nepal | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Netherlands | Ronaldo | Messi | Messi |
| New Caledonia | Iniesta | Neymar | |
| New Zealand | Messi | Lewandowski | Ronaldo |
| Nicaragua | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Niger | Messi | ||
| Nigeria | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Northern Ireland | Ronaldo | Messi | Suárez |
| Norway | Messi | Mascherano | Ronaldo |
| Oman | Messi | ||
| Pakistan | Messi | Robben | |
| Palestine | Ronaldo | Messi | Messi |
| Panama | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Paraguay | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Peru | Messi | Neuer | Messi |
| Philippines | Messi | Neymar | Ronaldo |
| Poland | Lewandowski | Neuer | Lewandowski |
| Portugal | Messi | Benzema | Ronaldo |
| Puerto Rico | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Qatar | Messi | Messi | Suárez |
| Republic of Ireland | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Romania | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Russia | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Rwanda | Messi | ||
| Samoa | Messi | Messi | |
| San Marino | Messi | Ronaldo | Iniesta |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Messi | Messi | |
| Saudi Arabia | Messi | ||
| Scotland | Messi | Lewandowski | Ronaldo |
| Senegal | Messi | Messi | Yaya Touré |
| Serbia | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Seychelles | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Sierra Leone | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Singapore | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Slovakia | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Slovenia | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Solomon Islands | Neymar | Messi | |
| Somalia | Messi | Messi | |
| South Africa | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| South Korea | Messi | Messi | Ronaldo |
| South Sudan | Messi | ||
| Spain | Messi | Messi | |
| Sri Lanka | Iniesta | Iniesta | |
| Sudan | Messi | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Suriname | Messi | ||
| Swaziland | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Sweden | Ronaldo | Messi | Ibrahimović |
| Switzerland | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Syria | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Tahiti | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Tajikistan | Ronaldo | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| Tanzania | Ronaldo | ||
| Thailand | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Togo | Ronaldo | Messi | De Bruyne |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Messi | ||
| Tunisia | Messi | Iniesta | Lewandowski |
| Turkey | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Turkmenistan | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Neymar | Messi | Messi |
| UAE | Messi | Ronaldo | |
| Uganda | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
| Ukraine | Neymar | Messi | Messi |
| Uruguay | Suárez | Messi | |
| US Virgin Islands | Messi | Messi | |
| USA | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Uzbekistan | Ronaldo | Messi | Messi |
| Vanuatu | Lewandowski | Pogba | Messi |
| Venezuela | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Vietnam | Messi | Messi | Messi |
| Wales | Messi | Bale | Bale |
| Yemen | Messi | ||
| Zambia | Messi | Neymar | Neymar |
| Zimbabwe | Messi | Ronaldo | Messi |
Yes, the Pakistan head coach really did vote for Arjen Robben…