Many thanks for joining us all here in Zurich for the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala, we hope you've enjoyed the presentation of the awards.

Don't forget you can join the conversation on Twitter by tweeting us @FIFAcom, remember to include #ballondor when talking about tonight's awards.

We will also be bringing you further reaction from the Gala on FIFA.com throughout the evening and we hope you can join us throughout 2013 for what should be another fantastic year for football.

So to wrap up the winners.

FIFA Ballon d'Or: LIONEL MESSI

FIFA Women's World Player of the Year: ABBY WAMBACH

FIFA Puskas Award: MIROSLAV STOCH

FIFA Coach of the Year: VICENTE DEL BOSQUE

FIFA Women's Coach of the Year: PIA SUNDHAGE

FIFA / FIFPro World XI:

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas

Defenders: Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta

Forwards: Lionel Messi, Radomel Falcao, Cristiano Ronaldo

FIFA Presidential Award: FRANZ BECKENBAUER

FIFA Fair Play Award: UZBEKISTAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION

As well as setting a new record for goals in a calendar year, Messi grabbed 50 goals in last season's La Liga for Barcelona. This is the sixth consecutive time that Messi has been in the final three for the FIFA Ballon d'Or and his fourth consecutive win.

It is Lionel Messi's fourth consecutive FIFA Ballon d'Or - a new record.

Messi set the record for goals in a calendar year in 2012 with 91 strikes to his name.

He said: "To tell you the truth this is really quite unbelieavable. The fourth award that I have had is just too great for words.

"I would like to recognise my other colleagues from Barcelona: Iniesta it has been great to train and play alongside you. I would also like to recognise all of my friends in the Argentinian national team.

"Everyone that has worked with me coaches and staff and my family and my friends.

"Also my wife and my son. Thank you."

The winner of the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2012 is LIONEL MESSI.

Fabio Cannavaro is on stage for the finale of this evening's FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala - the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2012 award itself.

Wambach, who has 152 goals in 198 appearances for the USA Women's side, said:

"I really didn't expect this. Thanks to FIFA and President Blatter for having us. Pia, coaching staff and the medical staff as well, thank you.

"Most importantly, winning any individual award is a total product of the team that you play for. I've never scored a goal without receiving a pass from my teammates.

"Thanks to all the fans out there who continue to inspire me and the rest of the team to win as many games as we can."

The FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award 2012 is ABBY WAMBACH.

Presenting the award are USA goalkeeper Hope Solo and FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.

Next will be the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award 2012.

Amy Macdonald has taken to the stage for a brief musical interlude, you can read here about her love of football.

The runner up for the FIFA Puskas Award 2012 was Radamel Falcao, and third place went to Neymar.

Stoch took to the stage to say: "I would like to thank everybody, my family and my friends, the players for my country and my club. Thank you."

The winner of the FIFA Puskas Award 2012 is MIROSLAV STOCH.

Carlos Valderrama has taken to the stage to present the award for the FIFA Puskas Award 2012, and he is joined by Ruud Gullit in a wig!

The winner of the FIFA Fair Play Award 2012 is the UZBEKISTAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION.

Next up is the FIFA Fair Play Award, to be presented by FIFA Vice-President Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein.

Voting has now CLOSED for the FIFA Puskas Award.

Beckenbauer's illustrious career includes winning the FIFA World Cup™ as both a player and a coach.

He says: "Over the years I have received a varying number of awards as player and manager. To get the FIFA Presidential Award is something very different. I would like to thank the President for keeping me in mind for this award.

"I am highly elated to receive such recognition. I hope you all remain healthy for 2013."

Mr Blatter said of Der Kaiser:

"He has put his heart and soul into football. His extensive knowledge combined with his direct and charming manner make him a football expert with great esteem all over the world.

"Personally I say I enjoy working with him, and I look forward to working with him in the future."

The recipient of the FIFA Presidential Award 2012 is FRANZ BECKENBAUER.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has said "there are many different ways to offer outstanding services in football."

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter once again takes to the stage to present the FIFA Presidential Award.

He led his Spain side to their second consecutive UEFA European Championships in Poland and Ukraine to add to their FIFA World Cup win in 2010.

He said: "It is a great privilege to be involved with the Spanish Football Federation, the technical staff and coaches. 

"I would like to remember all of the coaches I had in my time who were part of my education.

"We are all called upon to protect football and its image."

Vicente Del Bosque is the winner of the men's coach of the year award!

Congratulations to Pia Sundhage, who led the USA side to victory at the London 2012 Olympics. 

She takes to the podium to sing a thank you song to the American players in the audience, including FIFA Ballon d'Or nominees Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan, for their part in the London 2012 success.

The winner is Pia Sundhage the manager of Sweden.

Next up will be the award for FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women's Football.

So the FIFA / FIFPro World XI is made up of players all plying their trade in La Liga, with five Real Madrid players, five Barcelona players and one Atletico Madrid player.

Iker Casillas speaks after being named in the FIFA / FIFPro World XI:

"I just love playing in goal. I have always wanted to play in goal so this is great for me."

Cristiano Ronaldo was asked by one of the mascots, 'how can I become such a great player like you?'

He replied: "It's not easy! Just be yourself, work hard and be humble."

The FIFA / FIFPro World XI:

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas

Defenders: Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta

Forwards: Lionel Messi, Radomel Falcao, Cristiano Ronaldo

One time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Andriy Shevchenko has asked whether Michel Platini has enough space in his house for all three of his FIFA Ballons d'Or!

Having just relived the nominees for the FIFA Puskas Award 2012, make sure you get your vote in if you haven't already - voting closes shortly!

Don't forget to log onto Twitter and get involved in the Ballon d'Or conversation. Tweet us @FIFAcom and remember to use #ballondor when posting your message.

Now our hosts Ruud Gullit and Kay Murray are talking us through the schedule for the ceremony which is now underway after a montage of previous winners. 

Now the FIFA World Cup™ 2014 mascot Fuleco has taken to the stage, to join Ronaldo and FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke.

At the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has praised Kevin Prince Boateng's recent actions for walking off the pitch after encountering racism. He said: "It was a strong and courageous signal. A way of saying: this has gone this far, but it goes no further. That is praiseworthy. But we have to find other sustainable solutions to tackle the problem at its roots. Football must connect people."

Brazilian legend Ronaldo has taken to the stage to speak about the FIFA World Cup™ 2014 in his home country.

He said: "There is no doubt that there wil be great enthusiasm on the part of the Brazilian people, FIFA is doing something huge for the population.

"We have been able to start building infrastructure so we are very grateful for that."

You can join the debate - Messi, Ronaldo or Iniesta - Wambach, Morgan or Marta - by logging on to Twitter and tweeting us @FIFAcom.

Remember to use #ballondor whenever you post a message.

We'll put some of the best tweets on here throughout the evening as the world awaits the results of the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala in Zurich.

That's all from the red carpet here in Zurich. Our live video feed will be back on shortly, as the build up to the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala continues.

Speaking at the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has hailed Kevin Prince Boateng's recent actions after walking off the pitch in a friendly after encountering racism. He said: "It was a strong and courageous signal. A way of saying: this has gone this far, but it goes no further. That is praiseworthy. But we have to find other sustainable solutions to tackle the problem at its roots. Football must connect people."

Santos forward and FIFA Puskas Award nominee Neymar has also been chatting to us on the FIFA Ballon d'Or red carpet.

He said: "I'm very happy to be able to participate in this huge football party.

"This is already a great moment for me, I don't know what will happen in the future and we'll see what the future will bring for the Brazilian players."

When asked for his favourite for the Ballon d'Or prize, he said: "Messi for me."

Brazil's legendary striker Ronaldo has been on the FIFA Ballon d'Or red carpet.

He said: "I'm very happy to be here to particpate and talk about the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

"My favourite is Messi, I think he is going to win again. I believe that he is a step ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.

"I think Neymar is the future of world football, we have high hopes for him because we have the World Cup coming up in two years' time."

Rudi Garcia, coach of Ligue 1 side Lille, has said that Messi's 91 goals in one year makes him "a phenomenon" and a "huge talent". He added that Vicente Del Bosque's achievements with Spain have been "sensational".

Atletico Madrid striker and FIFA Puskas Award nominee Falcao has been speaking on the FIFA Ballon d'Or red carpet.

He said: "I'm very happy to be in the presence of such important people in football. I did my best in the season to achieve the titles we did, and this enabled me to be a part of this event.

"[The goal] was fantastic, I think that everybody would like to score a goal like this, it meant a lot to me."

German legend Franz Beckenbauer has said that "Messi is definitely the best player" and that it is too close to call between Vicente del Bosque, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho for the FIFA Coach of the Year award.

Brazil's Marta picked up a record five consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year titles between 2006 and 2010. The 26-year-old helped her side reach the quarter-finals of the London 2012 Olympics, scoring two in four matches. She currently plays for Swedish side Tyresö FF after stints in Brazil with Santos and various clubs in the USA.

Alex Morgan, another USA international, became the youngest Women's US Soccer player to score 20 international goals in a calendar year over the course of 2012, finishing the year with 28 goals and 21 assists. She grabbed an extra-time winner against rivals Canada in the semi-finals of London 2012 on the way to picking up her first Olympic gold medal. She is currently writing a series of books for children, the first of which will be released in May this year.

USA international striker Abby Wambach has reached the final three at the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala for the second consecutive year. She is currently just six goals behind Mia Hamm's US record of 158 international strikes. She picked up her second Olympic gold medal at London 2012, adding to her first at Athens in 2004. She has grabbed 18 goals at the FIFA Women's World Cup throughout her career, with all four of her strikes at Germany 2011 with her head.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi has won the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the last three years (2009, 2010 and 2011) and this is the sixth consecutive year that he has been in the final three. He was the top goalscorer in La Liga in the 2011/12 season with 50 goals. He broke Gerd Muller's long-standing record for goals in a year, grabbing 91 strikes in an incredible 2012. If Messi wins the award this evening, he will break the record jointly held by himself and Michel Platini of three consecutive Ballons d'Or.

We've just spoken to Andriy Shevchenko on the red carpet. The Ukraine striking legend believes Lionel Messi should win the FIFA Ballon d'Or, even though he says that Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta have had great years too. He also tips Falcao to win the Puskas award.

Barcelona's Andrés Iniesta was named UEFA's best player in Europe for the season 2011/12 in August, chosen ahead of tonight's FIFA Ballon d'Or finalists Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He grabbed his second UEFA European Championships win in the summer and was named man of the match in the final which saw Spain overcome Italy 4-0. The midfielder joined Barça when he was 12 years old, despite being born in Fuentealbilla, close to Albacete in the east of Spain. He opened a wine business in his hometown which is now one of the main industries in the area.

Luis Felipe Scolari tells us on the red carpet that Cristiano Ronaldo is his favourite to win, although Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo would be a worthy winner also.

As we count down to the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala this evening, we have some facts and figures about each of our nominees, starting with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo:

In 2012, he won La Liga with his club side, scoring 46 goals in the 2011/12 season. He also helped Madrid win the Spanish Supercup and reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. In addition, he captained Portugal to the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. Ronaldo grabbed the FIFA Puskas Award in 2009 thanks to his long-range effort for Manchester United against FC Porto. This is the fifth time that he has been among the three finalists at the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala, and he has won the award once in 2008, while at Manchester United.

Bayern Munich and Ukraine star Anatoliy Tymoshchuk has given his verdict on the Gala. In a tweet to @FIFAcom he said: "Today my vote for @FIFAcom Player of the Year is for Messi. Incredible record of 91 goals per year! #ballondor and #FBO"

What was your favourite footballing moment of 2012 and why? Log-into twitter, follow @FIFAcom and send us a message using the hashtag #FBO and we'll display some responses here...

USA star Maurice Edu has responded to us on twitter, saying "[It will be] close this year but Messi is the best I've ever seen..."

Dutch star Ryan Babel has given his backing to Andres Iniesta today. In a tweet to @FIFAcom he wrote: "I think Iniesta! But Leo is also possible..." Will he be right?

If you're enjoying this LIVE Coverage - please do spread the word by Liking this page on Facebook - and tweeting on twitter! We hope you're enjoying it as much as we are.

Miracle man Fabrice Muamba has also given his backing to Lionel Messi. The former England U-21 and Bolton Wanderers midfielder who was forced to retire from the game after suffering a heart attack on the pitch in early 2012, described the Barcelona man as "outstanding."

We have launched a 'Poll of Polls' on our official twitter feed @FIFAcom about tonight's FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala. Log into twitter and join in!

Former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given, who won 100 caps for the boys in green, has told @FIFAcom that he thinks Lionel Messi will win tonight's FIFA Ballon d'Or as he is the "best player ever to grace this planet."

Cristiano Ronaldo said that Lionel Messi isn't "frustrating, what matters is being part of football." Messi replied: "We're not competing with each other, we're playing for our teams"

Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola says that he would like to return to coaching, but refused to give any more details.

Lionel Messi has once again said that personal records and achievements matter less than team records and trophies.

Pep Guardiola says he was "proud to coach such a fantastic team such as Barcelona."

Cristiano Ronaldo says that he is "extremely proud" to be shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d'Or and says that "life will go on" if he doesn't pick up the prize.

A young child asks the Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi about whether they were the best in their teams when they were his age.
"When I was 8, I wasn't wondering whether I was the best - and I don't think that now. I only want to play football!," says Messi.
"When you're a kid, you just want to play and get better," added Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo said: "I don't remember that wel, but it was special for me playing as a kid in Portugal. I had a dream to become a professional footballer, but I never thought about being the best."

A press conference featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi is being streamed now! Click on the video above to find out what your heroes have to say...

While we're waiting for the stars to appear - who do you think will win the FIFA Ballon d'Or? Have your say by writing in the box on your right!

The press conference featuring the shortlisted players for the FIFA Ballon d'Or and the Men's Coach of the Year will be streamed above shortly.

Pique says he's one of the best players of #FIFA13 at Barcelona, but says that Lionel Messi is the best in the club as "he has the most time on his hands!"

"It was exciting in Dubai, but it's great to be back in Zurich for this Gala. Winning one tournament inspired me to win this again - and experiences like the one I had here last year helped me win again," said the FIWC champion.

A presentation is now being made to Alfonso Ramos, the first person to successfully defend his FIFA Interactive World Cup crown.

Pia Sundhage says that Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan made her look good while she was coach of the US team - and said that the key to stopping Marta's influence was to stop her getting into one-on-one situations.

Marta says that a gold medal at the Olympics or a first placed finish at the FIFA Women's World Cup would be "wonderful" but that Brazil have learned from their two second-placed finishes. She said that the team needs to be calmer and controlled in pressure situations.

@AbbyWambach says she's looking forward to getting the National Women's Soccer League started again in the US. #ballondor

Pia Sundhage says that every game inspires her, Norio Sasaki is motivated by winning while Bruno Bini's wants success for his France team.

Also crediting her friends and family is @alexmorgan13 while Marta admitted that playing in the streets helped to inspire her.

"My family - my mom and dad and six elder brother and sisters gave me the opportunities that I got," says @AbbyWambach