Following are the world's top sports news stories in 2012 selected by Xinhua News Agency:
- Lionel Messi won the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or, the prestigious award for the world's outstanding footballer, for the third straight time on Jan 9.
He also made history on Dec 9 when he scored his 85th and 86th goals of 2012 to set a new record for the number of goals scored in a calendar year. The Argentine striker's total scores of this year have piled to 91 goals after last week's Primera Liga.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates a goal against Espanyol during their Spanish First division soccer league match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Jan 6, 2013. [Photo/Agencies] |
Yearender soccer: Glory for Spain and Messi but problems never far away