As it has been for the last decade and a bit beyond, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are yet again the favourites to pick up the Golden Ball award and as it was last year, both should be overtaken to that honour by a worthier candidate – Virgil van Dijk.
Against the predictions of most analysts and bookmakers, Croatia’s Luka Modric shocked the iconic duo to claim the honour last year after starring in the Real Madrid side that won the UEFA Champions League and the Croatia team that got to the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk will hope for a repeat of such in the face of stiff competition from Messi and Ronaldo. And he would be just as worthy of that noble crown as the Croatian maestro, if not worthier.
It is not a regular occurrence for a defender to scoop one of the highest individual honours on earth. In the era of the 50 to 90 goals a season extraterrestrial legends, a defender picking up the UEFA Men’s Player Of The Year Award is almost impossible.
Yet again, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi scored loads of goals from Italy to Spain – wake me up when that becomes a news item – to help their clubs lift the league trophies in their respective countries.
But not since Fabio Cannavaro guided Italy to FIFA World Cup glory has any defender had such terrific impact on football on a global scale as Virgil van Dijk has in the last 18 months or so.
After moving to Anfield from Southampton for 75 million pounds, a world record transfer fee for a defender at the time, the Netherlands captain has not looked back since. He was the last missing piece in a Liverpool side that had gained as much notoriety for their shoddy defending as their gung ho attacking. Few months later, the Reds were in the Final of the UEFA Champions League.
Although, they would be stopped in their tracks by Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and a third consecutive title-chasing Real Madrid, but the football world had been attracted to the colossal figure of the former Celtic man. He was even named in the competition’s Team of the Tournament, despite only being registered to join with half the season gone.
But was it just a flash in the sky, one season wonder performance? Think again!
Fast forward 12 months later and Liverpool were back in the Champions League Final – having humbled Lionel Messi’s Barcelona – to face another English side Tottenham, that had conquered the conquerors of Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Juventus.
And in Virgil van Dijk‘s first full season as a Red, Liverpool were champions of Europe once again.
Although, the six-time Champions League winners were beaten to the league title by Manchester City, van Dijk picked the Premier League Player of the Year award – the first defender to be so honoured since Vincent Kompany in 2012 – ahead of the likes of Eden Hazard, Bernado Silva and Sadio Mane. His colleagues not unmindful of his influence also overlooked all of league winners Man City’s array of stars to hand Virgil van Dijk the PFA Player’s Player of the Year award, again becoming the first defender to win it since Chelsea’s John Terry 14 years ago.
Unlike some stars who never seem to know how to transfer club form to the international scene, van Dijk skippered the Netherlands to the final of the inaugural edition of the United Nations League where they were just unlucky to return home with a silver medal.
2019 has been Virgil van Dijk’s year. The whole world has witnessed it. Europe has cheered it. The Premier League has applauded. Fellow professionals have endorsed it. It’s time for UEFA to call it:
And The Best Player Award goes to…
Virgil van Dijk!
if anyone but messi wins it this year, this award isn’t for the best player in the world anymore. messi is the only person who has the right to claim it.
stfu
what right ? only reason, i can see. he is in the latter stage of his career. give him just because of that? HA . HA. VAN DIJK….. ALL D WAY.
Bek houden luuk
messi singlehandedly carried barca to yet another la liga title and a UCL semi-final. He scored 54 goals and assisted 21 times, won the european golden shoe for the third time in a row and was UCL’s topscorer with 12 goals in 10 games. Had the most freekicks, hattricks, MVP’s, dribbles completed, chances created etc… He carried his team past the likes of Tottenham, PSV, Lyon, Man united and Liverpool (1st leg). This guy was the best player in 2018/19 and the whole world knows it. Give it to van Dijk and this award will lose it’s credibility completely.
Ki
For me it’s Messi, which everyone know but the fact that they are someone’s fan won’t let’em say the truth. That’s it.
He has the golden boot in Laliga even three times in a row, he’s even the highest goal scorer in UCL, then what more, just because he didn’t lift the UCL cup doesn’t mean he’s not the best player.
If the Ballon d’or is given to another person, it is not awarded to the best player again but any of their choice.
The Best player remains the best
written: #MASKHID.
To mention uefa best award is to say the least, messi is most worthy winner of balon d or. If he doesn’t get it, then again the credibility is lost for life. A sane human breathing soccer knows that messi has done everything to pick the award.
Messi should win it
no matter what this guys says Messi will win this award today. Its time to stop all the evil that is goin around in this best player ballandor bullshit Messi has been the best player for 10 years its cruel what these Europeans are doing juistice shall prevail today
To the IDIOT that wrote this article. It must be HURTING you that The ESPYS Gave MESSI as best Internation player ovver Virgil and Ronaldo LMAO
Lionel Messi has been named the Best International Men’s Football Player at the ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards.
The Barcelona and Argentina star earned the award after achieving his sixth Golden Boot by ending the 2018/19 season as the top goalscorer with in LaLiga Santander with 36 goals in 34 games, as he helped his side become champions yet again.
He also bagged 12 goals in the Champions League, helped the Catalans to the Copa del Rey final and played a part as Argentina reached the Copa America semi-finals.It’s just the latest individual recognition awarded to the No.10, beating Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Virgil van Dijk in the voting.
(LET THAT SINK IN)
MESSI IS A FOOTBALL LEGEND. Because no one’s plays like last season messi de award
God bless everyone that talked before me, the person that wrote this article is either short sighted or was not in his right senses when he wrote it. The only person that deserves this award is Lionel Messi, Virgil Van djik, I laugh, even the most patriotic Liverpool fans know that this award will elude him just at it has eluded every other defender since Fabio. There is absolutely no reason why the award should not go to Messi. He has been the best player by far this season
Although is van dijk year,but Lionel Messi deserve this award,if truly this is awarded to the best player in the competition,he deserve it than anybody else.He as over 65% of goals which is team use to reach the semi final stage,he as the highest number of goals in Europe top league and many more
CR7 all the way
Christiano Ronaldo should win this award
Virgil deserve to win this year Men’s footballer of the year with his excellent performance in over one and half season. Liverpool humiliated and humble star loaded Barca comprises of Messi, Suarez and Coutinho . He went ahead and lift the trophy they fail to win in 2017/2018 season due to goal keeping error. If Messi is best player as claimed by people let him go another club. Virgil all the way….
CR7 4 life
And what was Messi able to do with Argentina? If he’s that great as you people are saying, he should have carried the same form to his international team but No he couldn’t because he didn’t have the chefs that cook for him to eat at Barcelona to do same with Argentina. Didn’t you read that Virgil van Dijk did what Messi couldn’t do? CR7 did what Messi couldn’t do by lifting the cup with Portugal. If you know how to swim, it doesn’t matter which water you find yourself in, you can still swim. STFU about this Messi Bullshit
What vvd did that messi could not do what ronaldo did that messi could not do you sound dumb lol Argentina reached the Simi finals
Look at what all of you are foolishly saying because you support Barcelona
Where was messi when liverpool was beating u
WHERE WAS VIRGIL TOO AT CAMP NOU
MESSI deserves it
van dijk
Ronaldo deserves the player of the year. Just give it to him. No body can match him
Messi deserves the award!!
You Messi fan boys annoy me let him go to another team he has not proved him self out of Barcelona and has always stayed where he knows he can only be put him in a team where he has new teammates and where he has to adjust I’m sure people will agree with me that he is not as good as his numbers say. Of course he’s a great player one of the best in the world but if ure getting toppled 4-0 and losing finals then there is something wrong . I would love to see him go to another team and hit the same stats .
Well i humbly request that only those who feels football should have a say when it comes to FOOTBALL AWARDS. in all truth VVD exceed all expectations last season. but so do Wesley Sneider in 2010, So do Frank Ribery in 2013. Remember exceptional players like Henry, Inieta, Zlatan & Xavi never won much of individual AWARDS.
My point is if you remain consistent over a period of time & avoiding injuries, AWARDS flows in for U.
The best players in the world remains till they calls time on his career # LEO 10 & CR7
Orlando deserve it fit he is the best.
Cr7 for life
van dajik
Lionel Messi which we call the goat and king of football deserves it over Ronaldo and Virgil Van Djik
Rubbish he hasn’t even played in any other league he’s only ever played in one league one country and for one team at least with Ronaldo and VVD they’ve played for other teams, in other leagues and countries, Messi would fall flat on his face in the English premier league, he won’t be able to cope with the speed and the physicality of the worlds toughest league, he wouldn’t cope with the English cold weather in winter as other argentine players have proved in the past, he won’t play on an hard frozen pitch, he won’t cope with the amount of games played in England, come on lets see him play for another club in another league and country where he won’t be allowed or able to dictate who he wants and doesn’t want at the club like he does at Barcelona, the way this idiot acts its as though he runs and owns the club, well if thinks he owns it, if he tried that at an English club he’d be out on his ear and contract tore up and he can try and sue the club but hec lose
I go for Cr7
Even you are tagging messi ad cr7.
Van dijks name has been only in the chart this year asshole. Messi and cr7 has been ruling for long time bitch.don’t compare van dijk with messi and cr7. Don’t you bitches dare to talk about those legends
Ha ha say that now when VVD beat them both to the award and named Europe’s best defender and those two didn’t like it especially cry baby messi because he was beaten to an award ( or as the players call it) another trophy by a Liverpool player once again, he was stuffed in the UCL at Anfield, he was stuffed in Monaco tonight and he’ll be stuffed in Balon D’or as VVD as overtaken him as favourite to win it so we’re not bitches praising VVD over Messi and Ronaldo, as its about time they was knocked off their perch, they were knocked off it in 2018 by Luka Modric of R Madrid but you or anyone else said anything about him like you have over VVD must be a Liverpool hate campaign yet again
Cr7 this we all know he was robbed of it last year
Rubbish its about time these pair were toppled, Messi hasn’t proved himself as the best playet asked he’s only played for one teams Andy only been in one league and country, he is no worthy footballer ad he dictates to his club who he wants too see signed for Barcelona and who he wanted out of Barcelona, if he wants to prove himself then come and play in the English Premier league like Ronaldo has, let messi prove himself in the toughest and quickest league in the world, we all know he’ll fail as he’s already proved he can’t cope playing in front of an English crowd, at least with Ronaldo he has done that
cr7 all the way the God of soccer
cr7 deserve it
Bla bla bla,this year VVD won the title I liked messi n CR 7 no doubt they both ruled more than 1 decade now it’s time for new talents.I don’t mean messi n CR7 getting old still they are world’s best footballer n respect them.
Cr7 deserves it