Messi was nominated for a FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward.[51] A poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaper Marca had him as the best player in the world with 77 percent of the vote.[52] Columnists from Barcelona-based newspapers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport stated that the Ballon d'Or should be given to Messi, a view supported by Franz Beckenbauer.[53] Football personalities such as Francesco Totti have declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.[54] Messi finished third in the 2007 Ballon d'Or, behind Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo, and finished second in the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year award, once again behind Kaká. He also came in third in the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker Award, once again behind Kaká and Andrea Pirlo.[55]
On 27 February, Messi played in his 100th official match for Barcelona against Valencia CF [56] but only a few days later he was sidelined for six weeks following an injury on 4 March when he suffered a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic FC. It was the fourth time in three seasons that Messi suffered this type of injury.[57] Messi scored 6 goals and provided 1 assist during the Champions League that season, as Barcelona were knocked out in the semi-finals, to the eventual winners Manchester United. When the season was over Messi had managed to score 16 goals and assisted 13 times in all competitions.
2008–09 season
Upon Ronaldinho's departure from the club, Messi inherited his number 10 jersey. During this season he placed second in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Yearawards with 678 points and third in the 2008 IFFHS World's Best Playmaker Award for the second consecutive year.[58]
Messi scored his first hat-trick of 2009 in a Copa del Rey tie against Atlético Madrid which Barcelona won 3–1.[59] Messi scored another important double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a second half substitute to help Barcelona defeatRacing Santander 1–2 after being 1–0 down. The second of the two strikes was Barcelona's 5000th league goal.[60] On 8 April 2009, he scored twice against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, setting a personal record of eight goals in the competition.[61]
As Barcelona's season was drawing to a close, Messi scored twice (his 35th and 36th goals in all competitions) to cap a 6–2 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu[62] in what was Real's heaviest defeat since 1930. He won his first Copa del Rey on 13 May, scoring one goal and assisting another two, in a 4–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao.[63] He helped his team win the double by winning La Liga. On 27 May he helped Barcelona win the Champions League by scoring a second goal in the 70th minute giving Barcelona a two goal lead; he also became the top scorer in the Champions League, the youngest in the tournament's history, with nine goals.[64] Messi also won the UEFA Club Forward of the Year and the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year rounding off a spectacular year in Europe.[65] Barcelona had won the Copa del Rey, La Liga and Champions League in one season;[66] it was the first time a Spanish club had ever won the treble.[67] Messi finished the season with 38 goals and 18 assists in all competitions.
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