Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has beaten his rival Cristiano Ronaldo to win UEFA’s Best Player in Europe for last season.
He beat teammate Luis Suarez and Real Madrid’s Ronaldo in a Europe-wide poll of journalists.
The four-time FIFA world player of the year, Messi got the UEFA honor after a season-long duel with Ronaldo for the Champions League scoring record. Both resume this season on 77 goals.
Messi scored 58 goals and provided 31 assists as Barcelona won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Champions League.
Suarez, who scored the decisive second goal in the 3-1 final win over Juventus, reached the shortlist despite starting his season in late-October.
The Uruguay forward served a FIFA ban for biting at the 2014 World Cup.
