Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas win Ballon d'Or awards
Paris, Nov 30: Lionel Messi won the men's Ballon d'Or for a record-extending seventh time on Monday, ending the year in style after a brilliant final season with Barcelona and earning his first major international trophy with Argentina.
Alexia Putellas became the third winner of the women's award for an outstanding season with Barcelona and Spain.
The 34-year-old Messi led Argentina to the Copa America title in July after losing in four major international finals.
I'm very happy to be here, happy to keep fighting for new trophies," he said through a translator. I don't know how many years I have left, but I hope many more. I'd like to thank all my (former) teammates at Barcelona and Argentina.
Messi finished with 613 points to top prolific Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski on 580.
I would like to say to Robert that it's an honor to be your rival, and everyone would say you deserved to win it last year, Messi said.
Awarded by France Football magazine, the Ballon d'Or has been given out to men every year since 1956 when Stanley Matthews won.
The 33-year-old Lewandowski set a new single-season scoring record for the Bundesliga with 41 goals one more than late Germany great Gerd M ller when he scored in the last minute of the last game.
Lewandowski netted in 19 consecutive games in all competitions for Bayern from February to September and he just missed out on equaling the record of scoring in 16 Bundesliga games in a row. Overall, he already has 25 goals in 20 games for Bayern this season.
His 11 goals in 12 games for Poland this year took his international tally to 74 in 128 games, just six less than Messi.
Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho was third with 460 points after helping the London club win the Champions League and his nation win the European Championship. Real Madrid and France forward Karim Benzema was fourth on 239.
Putellas helped Barca win the treble and scored 26 goals in 42 games overall. The midfielder netted in the Champions League final against Chelsea, and in August she was named UEFA women's player of the year.
I'm very emotional, it's a very special moment, she said at the Paris ceremony through a translator. I would like to start by thanking all my teammates, especially my current (Barcelona) teammates. For me it's a collective success.
The only previous women's award winners are Norway striker Ada Hegerberg in 2018, and U.S. forward Megan Rapinoe in 2019. The 2020 awards were canceled because the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the season.
Putellas tallied 186 points to finish far ahead of club and country teammate Jenni Hermoso on 84.
Hermoso netted 31 goals to top the Spanish first division scoring charts for a third straight season. Hermoso was joint-top scorer in the Champions League with Chelsea's Fran Kirby on six goals.
Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr placed third in the voting after 21 goals in the English Women's Super League and then six for Australia at the Tokyo Games. Kerr has maintained her excellent form with 13 goals in 12 games this season.
PUSH THE MAGIC BUTTON! 👀
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@francefootball) November 29, 2021
small surprise for Lionel Messi #ballondor pic.twitter.com/UtMcaQyIdE
When Luis Suarez gives the #ballondor to Messi! pic.twitter.com/uUHhMgtVfR
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@francefootball) November 29, 2021
Alexia Putellas is your 2021 Women's #ballondor! pic.twitter.com/DJLB2YNObL
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@francefootball) November 29, 2021
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
