Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi won the European Footballer of the Year award yesterday topping a poll of journalists from across the world. In a stellar year the little Argentinian won La Liga, El Copa del Rey and the Champions League and helped his national team qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Below is a special commemorative signed 'Campeones 2009' shirt we asked him to do for us at the last signing session we had with him in September.

He won the poll by 240 votes from his nearest challenger Cristiano Ronaldo, another of icons.com star signings. Bareclona and Real Madrid players dominate the poll as the top seven players all played for the Spanish clubs in this calendar year. Steven Gerrard was 10th, Fernando Torres 11th and Cesc Fabregas came in 12th.

For the full list click here

The nominations for the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year came out this morning and icons.com stars feature prominently. Lionel Messi would be are choice for the award, having helped Barcelona to win La Liga, El Copa del Rey and the Champions League whilst also leading Argentina to the World Cup finals, just.

The full list of 23 nominations is as follows, featuring seven icons.com players.

Michael Ballack (Germany), Chelsea

Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Juventus

Iker Casillas (Spain), Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Real Madrid

Diego (Brazil), Juventus

Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Chelsea

Michael Essien (Ghana), Chelsea

Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Inter Milan

Steven Gerrard (England), Liverpool

Thierry Henry (France), Barcelona

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Barcelona

Andres Iniesta (Spain), Barcelona

Kaka (Brazil), Real Madrid

Frank Lampard (England), Chelsea

Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Sevilla

Lionel Messi (Argentina), Barcelona

Carles Puyol (Spain), Barcelona

Franck Ribery (France), Bayern Munich

Wayne Rooney (England), Manchester United

John Terry (England), Chelsea

Fernando Torres (Spain), Liverpool

David Villa (Spain), Valencia

Xavi (Spain), Barcelona

We're proud to launch the brand new 2009-10 icons.com brochure. The aim is to showcase all the major players we have signed memorabilia products for and to re-emphaize that icons.com is the leading suppliers of signed football merchandise in the world.

Check out the full brochure here

Cover

Torres page

Kaka page

Signings page

If you would us to send you one in the post or a low-res version by email let us know at icons.com

If you open your Daily Mail today you'll see a reference to the competition they're running at the moment in conjunction with us. They're giving their readers the chance to win a signed shirt from two of our most recent signings - Arsenal hero Cesc Fabregas and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.

To be in with a chance of winning these quality prizes go to the Dailymail.co.uk site. The competition close at midday on October 23rd so don't forget to enter.