As one of the five finalists for the FIFA World Player award, Barcelona's Andres Iniesta was soft spoken at the Gala preceding the presentation of the award.

"I feel immense joy. Being on the same stage and knowing I am at the same level as these players [Lionel Messi, Xavi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kaka] is a huge reward and I congratulate the rest of the players for being here".

With his respect to his favourite memory from a record breaking season, Iniesta spoke of the Barca's European title against Manchester United.

"We have been privileged to have lived so many beautiful moments, but the Champions League final is the best for me," he reminisced.

Seated next to Xavi, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kaka, the three Barcelona players were markedly shorter than their Madrid counterparts and when asked of the height difference, Iniesta was dismissive, saying, "The important thing is to strike the right balance in the team and Barca have the right blend."

The midfield wizard also spoke of Barca's plans for 2010. "We have some time to wind down, but after the holidays we will see we have achieved nothing with respect to the future and we will fight to win all titles".

Although Messi is widely anticipated to win the award, Iniesta wished to dedicate the accolade to "the fans of the team who have always been there to support. Our team-mates also deserve to be recognised".

Finally, when asked of next summer's World Cup in South Africa, Iniesta was asked to assess Spain's chances.

"The World Cup is always important and I hope the Spanish team can play well. After winning all our matches in the qualifying round, we will try to get as far as possible," he concluded.