Barcelona ace Lionel Messi has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award by the highest margin ever in the award’s history.

Messi managed to score 473 out of a possible 480 points, leaving second placed Cristiano Ronaldo far behind at 233 points.

“It is my great honour to be selected for the Ballon d’Or, but also to be the first Argentine in history to receive this award,” the diminutive attacker told the France Football website.

“Honestly, I knew I was among the favourites, because Barca enjoyed a successful 2009 where we won everything. But I did not expect to win by a margin as large [as 240 points].”

The 22-year-old becomes the youngest player to receive the award after since Michael Owen’s feat of winning it at the age of 21.

The Barca star maintained that the award was special to him, and insisted that he already has his sights set on repeating the achievement.

“You know, the Ballon d’Or, is something very important to me. All those who won were great players. And some greats have never won it.

“It will not be easy to repeat a year like we just experienced. I hope the next year will be in the same vein. But winning the Ballon d’Or two years in a row, it’s not easy.”