ZURICH -- The only surprise was over what Lionel Messi was wearing as he picked up his record fifth Ballon D'Or.
This time, there was no notorious loud jacket, just a traditional black dinner suit to go with another piece of history from the Argentine.
In the hours before the ceremony, which took placed in a gold-draped room in Zurich's Kongreshaus, even Cristiano Ronaldo was admitting that Messi was the likely and deserving winner. There was no bitterness as the Portuguese spoke with humour and admiration about the quality of the Barcelona playmaker's left foot.
Later, when he took the podium, Messi was his usual reserved self but also admitted to a hint of envy over how he had to watch Ronaldo pick up the award for the last two years.