Messi Hailed Best Player; Bin Hammam Reveals FIFA Presidency Ambitions

"When I saw the eleven best players at the FIFA gala in December I knew they were all very good," Platini told fcbarcelona.com.

"But Messi was the star of stars and then there was [Cristiano] Ronaldo and Kaka and all the rest."

The 22-year-old capped a brilliant 2008/09 season in which he won six titles with the La Liga giants by being crowned FIFA World Player of the Year in December. Now he is bidding to become the first team player to win the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award.

Messi moves ahead of Real Madrid’s Ronaldo in January’s Castrol Rankings released this week. But Liverpool’s Fernando Torres, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney are in close pursuit of top spot.

In its assessment, Castrol used objective analysis and advanced technology to measure every pass, every tackle and every single move of over 2,000 players and games from Europe’s top five leagues over the last 12 months.

Portuguese star Ronaldo finished 2009 as the top ranked player ahead of Messi and Barcelona’s Thierry Henry.

But Messi has leapfrogged Ronaldo after scoring six goals and delivering two assists in four La Liga games, including a hat-trick against Tenerife; against Sevilla, he scored twice, struck eight shots and created five chances for teammates.

Messi is set to be one of the stars of this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

He has recently hit a rich vein of form. Already this season, he has contributed to 22 league goals – 15 goals, seven assists – for Barca this season. His shooting accuracy (70%) is the best in La Liga and he has successfully completed 163 dribbles in the league and Champions League over the last 12 months, more than any other player.

Marcel Desailly, a Castrol ambassador and two-time Champions League winner, said: “Even in a great Barcelona side Messi stands out and he is certain to have a major influence in South Africa.

“Messi and Ronaldo are both brilliant players and the outcome of the La Liga title race is likely to hinge on which player has the most influence during the remaining months of the season.”

In the Castrol Rankings, in-form Rooney, who scored two goals against AC Milan in last night’s Champions League match, moves into the top ten after rising 16 places from 25 to 9.