Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is set to complete the perfect year today with Marca reporting that the Argentinian will be named as 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year in Zurich tonight.

The FIFA prize is voted on by the coaches and captains of international football teams and Messi has finished runner-up for the previous two seasons with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka claiming the crown in 2008 and 2007 respectively but the 22-year-old from Rosario now seems certain to add the FIFA accolade to the Ballon d'Or prize he claimed earlier this year.

This award comes just two days after Messi scored the extra-time winner in the FIFA Club World Cup comeback win over Estudiantes de la Plata, bringing the Blaugrana's total of trophies for 2009 to six, an unrivalled figure in world football. Messi also claimed the man of the match award for the World Cup Final win.

If, as expected, he does collect the FIFA gong Messi will be the first Argentinian to collect the prize since the inaugural award in 1991.