Virgil van Dijk was named runner-up in the race for the 2019 Ballon d’Or, as Lionel Messi claimed the prestigious prize Monday night at a ceremony in Paris.
Lionel Messi from @FCBarcelona is the 2019 Ballon d'Or winner! THAT'S HIS SIXTH ONE! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/dLndTZNeeW
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) December 2, 2019
Liverpool’s No. 4 took second place for the best men’s player accolade, which France Football magazine presents based on the results of a poll of international journalists.
Here is the 2019 Ballon d'Or Top 3 ⤵️
1. Lionel Messi
2. @VirgilvDijk
3. @CristianoThe ranking > https://t.co/cSurv8xUiL
#Ballondor pic.twitter.com/nl1fqJM1qP
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) December 2, 2019
Van Dijk — who collected the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year prizes earlier this year — is the first Reds man to feature in the top three since Fernando Torres in 2008.
Van Dijk becomes only the third serving Liverpool player to finish first or second in the Ballon d’Or — after Kenny Dalglish (second in 1983) and Michael Owen (winner in 2001).
