Lionel Messi did not win the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Lionel Messi . Despite being injury-prone during his early career , he established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years , finishing 2007 as a finalist for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award , a feat he repeated the following year . At 22 years old , Messi won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award by record voting margins .