Lionel Messi Wins The Bravo Trophy For U-21 Players

Lionel Messi has won what is known as the Golden Ball for U-21 players in Europe: the Bravo Award...

Guerin Sportivo have awarded the Bravo Trophy for the best U-21 player in Europe to Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

The cup, awarded annually based on performances in the previous season, went to the young Argentine for his showings in the 2006-07 campaign.

Messi becomes the first player from Argentina to lift the award, and the third from Barcelona after Josep Guardiola won it 15 years ago and Ronaldo was given it in 1997.

Arsenal's Francesc Fabregas - who is himself a Barcelona youth product - won the prize last year.

The full list of winners:

1978 Jimmy Case (Liverpool)
1979 Garry Birtles (Nottingham Forest)
1980 Hansi Müller (Stuttgart)
1981 John Wark (Ipswich Town)
1982 Gary Shaw (Aston Villa)
1983 Massimo Bonini (Juventus)
1984 Ubaldo Righetti (AS Roma)
1985 Emilio Butragueño (Real Madrid)
1986 Emilio Butragueño (Real Madrid)
1987 Marco van Basten (Ajax)
1988 Eli Ohana (KV Mechelen)
1989 Paolo Maldini (AC Milan)
1990 Roberto Baggio (AC Fiorentina)
1991 Robert Prosinecki (Red Star)
1992 Josep Guardiola (FC Barcelona)
1993 Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)
1994 Christian Panucci (AC Milan)
1995 Patrick Kluivert (Ajax)
1996 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus)
1997 Ronaldo (FC Barcelona)
1998 Ronaldo (Inter Milan)
1999 Gianluigi Buffon (Parma)
2000 Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
2001 Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich)
2002 Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund)
2003 Wayne Rooney (Everton)
2004 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
2005 Arjen Robben (Chelsea)
2006 Cesc Fàbregas (Arsenal)
2007 Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona).

Steve Michaels, Goal.com