Lionel Messi s claim to a place in football s pantheon of greats should be advanced Monday when the FIFA Ballon d Or trophy is awarded to the world s best player in 2011. The Argentina forward heads a three-player shortlist, alongside Barcelona teammate Xavi Hernandez and Real Madrid s Cristiano Ronaldo, and seeks to win for a third straight year. Only World Cup winners Zinedine Zidane of France and Brazil s Ronaldo have won three times since FIFA created its world player award in 1991, now merged with the Ballon d Or presented by France Football magazine since 1956. Only France great Michel Platini ever won that trophy for three consecutive years. That Messi likely will have three awards by the age of 24 is even more remarkable.
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