![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. 🐐
![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
![Ballon d'Or: Ten years on from Messi's first Ballon d'Or: Where were his current teammates then? | MARCA in English Ballon d'Or: Ten years on from Messi's first Ballon d'Or: Where were his current teammates then? | MARCA in English](https://e00-marca.uecdn.es/assets/multimedia/imagenes/2019/12/02/15753064707555.jpg)
Ballon d'Or: Ten years on from Messi's first Ballon d'Or: Where were his current teammates then? | MARCA in English
![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)