Mercurial Messi claims another crown

PARIS: Lionel Messi, who on Monday added FIFA's World Player of the Year award to his prestigious Ballon D'Or accolade, has certainly proved he can handle the pressure.

It is more than four years since Diego Maradona lauded the man from Santa Fe as the player who should inherit his mantle as national footballing hero and Messi, unlike several would-be successors who flattered to deceive, has gone from strength to strength.

Having started out with Newells Old Boys in his homeland, Messi soon came to Barcelona's attention, who moved him and his family to Europe as the club offered to provide treatment for the youngster's growth hormone deficiency.