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La Liga

Joining a line of Barcelona legends who have won the Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi has been inducted into this prestigious hall of fame.

Former Catalan legends include: Luis Suarez (1960), Johan Cryuff (1973-74), Histro Stoichkov (1994) and Ronaldinho (2005).

Now in 2009, Messi has written himself into the history books not only as the youngest player since Michael Owen to have received this award but also as the first Argentinean.

Until 1995 non-European players were ineligible for the award. Since then, four Brazilians have won it and Lionel Messi is the first Argentinean to have won it.

Here is a list of all the players who have been awarded this title.

1956 - Stanley Matthews (England)

1957 - Alfredo di Stefano (Spain)

1958 - Raymond Kopa (France)

1959 - Di Stefano 1960 - Luis Suarez (Spain)

1961 - Omar Sivori (Italy)

1962 - Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)

1963 - Lev Yashin (USSR)

1964 - Denis Law (Scotland)

1965 - Eusebio (Portugal)

1966 - Bobby Charlton (England)

1967 - Florian Albert (Hungary)

1968 - George Best (Northern Ireland)

1969 - Gianni Rivera (Italy)

1970 - Gerd Mueller (West Germany)

1971 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

1972 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)

1973 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

1974 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

1975 - Oleg Blokhin (USSR)

1976 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)

1977 - Allan Simonsen (Denmark)

1978 - Kevin Keegan (England)

1979 - Kevin Keegan (England)

1980 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)

1981 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)

1982 - Paolo Rossi (Italy)

1983 - Michel Platini (France)

1984 - Michel Platini (France)

1985 - Michel Platini (France)

1986 - Igor Belanov (USSR)

1987 - Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)

1988 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)

1989 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)

1990- Lothar Matthaeus (Germany)

1991 - Jean-Pierre Papin (France)

1992 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)

1993 - Roberto Baggio (Italy)

1994 - Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)

1995 - George Weah (Liberia)

1996 - Matthias Sammer (Germany)

1997 - Ronaldo (Brazil)

1998 - Zinedine Zidane (France)

1999 - Rivaldo (Brazil)

2000 - Luis Figo (Portugal)

2001 - Michael Owen (England)

2002 - Ronaldo (Brazil)

2003 - Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)

2004 - Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)

2005 - Ronaldinho (Brazil)

2006 - Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)

2007 - Kaka (Brazil)

2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

2009 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)