Lionel Messi won the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or today in Zurich, the third straight year he has been named the world's best player. Here are five notes on his historic accomplishment.

•  Messi is the third three-time winner of the FIFA Player of the Year award, which began in 1991. He joins Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo, but Messi is the only one to win the award in three consecutive years.

•  If you prefer to look at past winners of the Ballon d'Or -- which was awarded by France Football from 1956 to 2009 before merging with FIFA's prize -- Messi is the fourth three-time winner, joining Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten. Platini is the only other to win three consecutive years, from 1983-85.

•  Messi remains the only Argentine to win FIFA Player of the Year or the Ballon d'Or. The only other Argentine to finish in the top three was Gabriel Batistuta, who was third in the 1999 FIFA Player of the Year voting, behind Rivaldo and David Beckham. Messi is also the only non-Brazilian South American to claim either prize.

•  In calendar year 2011, Messi led the top four European leagues (La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A) in passes completed into the penalty box (149) and completed through balls (39). He also finished in the top four in goals, shots and shots on target in those leagues.

•  A player from a Spanish club was the FIFA Player of the Year for the ninth time in 11 years. Five winners played for Barcelona (Messi three times and Ronaldinho twice), while four were with Real Madrid (Luis Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane and Fabio Cannavaro).