![FC Barcelona on Twitter: "#OnThisDay | December 1, 2009 10 years ago today, a 22-year-old phenom named Lionel #Messi was awarded his first Ballon d'Or. It would not be his last. 🐐 FC Barcelona on Twitter: "#OnThisDay | December 1, 2009 10 years ago today, a 22-year-old phenom named Lionel #Messi was awarded his first Ballon d'Or. It would not be his last. 🐐](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EKsJXc-WkAAAAxH.jpg:large)
FC Barcelona on Twitter: "#OnThisDay | December 1, 2009 10 years ago today, a 22-year-old phenom named Lionel #Messi was awarded his first Ballon d'Or. It would not be his last. 🐐
![UEFA Champions League on Twitter: "#OnThisDay in 2009, Leo Messi - then only 22 - won the Ballon d'Or award for the first time. 🏆💪 #UCL https://t.co/NSair1Aunn" / Twitter UEFA Champions League on Twitter: "#OnThisDay in 2009, Leo Messi - then only 22 - won the Ballon d'Or award for the first time. 🏆💪 #UCL https://t.co/NSair1Aunn" / Twitter](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DP9SEExXUAE2VFK.jpg)
UEFA Champions League on Twitter: "#OnThisDay in 2009, Leo Messi - then only 22 - won the Ballon d'Or award for the first time. 🏆💪 #UCL https://t.co/NSair1Aunn" / Twitter
![Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or by record margin as Barcelona dominate voting | Barcelona | The Guardian Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or by record margin as Barcelona dominate voting | Barcelona | The Guardian](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Football/Clubs/Club%20Home/2009/5/27/1243457118582/Lionel-Messi-001.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctYWdlLTIwMDkucG5n&enable=upscale&s=eea0014982f97ebf8c85d0ff3ab4b615)
Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or by record margin as Barcelona dominate voting | Barcelona | The Guardian
![B/R Football on Twitter: "On this day in 2009, Leo Messi won his first Ballon d'Or beating second-placed Cristiano Ronaldo by 240 points. 12 years later, Messi has his seventh 🤩 https://t.co/kTuJyYHxSY" / B/R Football on Twitter: "On this day in 2009, Leo Messi won his first Ballon d'Or beating second-placed Cristiano Ronaldo by 240 points. 12 years later, Messi has his seventh 🤩 https://t.co/kTuJyYHxSY" /](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFhThfHX0AAm3aR.jpg:large)
B/R Football on Twitter: "On this day in 2009, Leo Messi won his first Ballon d'Or beating second-placed Cristiano Ronaldo by 240 points. 12 years later, Messi has his seventh 🤩 https://t.co/kTuJyYHxSY" /
![Ballon d'Or 2016 - Nine years of dominance: How the Messi-Ronaldo balance of power has shifted - Eurosport Ballon d'Or 2016 - Nine years of dominance: How the Messi-Ronaldo balance of power has shifted - Eurosport](https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/1200x0/filters:format(jpeg):focal(1415x512:1417x510)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2016/12/08/1983591-41667307-2560-1440.jpg)
Ballon d'Or 2016 - Nine years of dominance: How the Messi-Ronaldo balance of power has shifted - Eurosport
![Barcelona's soccer player Lionel Messi of Argentina kisses the 2009 Ballon d 'Or trophy in Paris December 6, 2009. The award was presented by the French magazine France Football. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE SPORT Barcelona's soccer player Lionel Messi of Argentina kisses the 2009 Ballon d 'Or trophy in Paris December 6, 2009. The award was presented by the French magazine France Football. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE SPORT](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2E7JXPE/barcelonas-soccer-player-lionel-messi-of-argentina-kisses-the-2009-ballon-dor-trophy-in-paris-december-6-2009-the-award-was-presented-by-the-french-magazine-france-football-reutersbenoit-tessier-france-sport-soccer-2E7JXPE.jpg)
Barcelona's soccer player Lionel Messi of Argentina kisses the 2009 Ballon d 'Or trophy in Paris December 6, 2009. The award was presented by the French magazine France Football. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE SPORT
![Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi receiving the European footballer of the year award, the 'Ballon d' Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi receiving the European footballer of the year award, the 'Ballon d'](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2E4H33E/barcelonas-argentinian-forward-lionel-messi-receiving-the-european-footballer-of-the-year-award-the-ballon-dor-golden-ball-in-boulogne-billancourt-near-paris-france-on-december-6-2009-photo-by-pierre-tremoussaabacapresscom-2E4H33E.jpg)