It is being claimed that FIFA has inadvertently let slip that Lionel Messi has won the prize, but it appears to have been a hoax - not that that's stopped fans from reacting
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Social media has been abuzz with the claim that FIFA has accidentally revealed the Ballon d'Or winner five days before the announcement, with Lionel Messi's name attached to a rather official looking document.
The news originated from a tweet from Dutch journalist Michael Abbink, who writes for NU Sport, who appeared to have discovered a press release proclaiming Messi as the winner (and Germany's Celia Sasic as the Women's World Player of the Year).