Lionel Messi is the winner of the Ballon d’Or for 2019. It’s the sixth time Messi has won the prestigious award, one more than his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Between 2008 and 2017 the two superstars dominated the award with 5 wins each. A year ago Real Madrid’s Luka Modric became the first player not named Ronaldo or Messi to win the Ballon d’Or since Kaka in 2007.
Thirty players were nominated for the Men’s Ballon d’Or in October with Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool and Ronaldo finishing 2/3 behind Messi.
Earlier this year van Dijk won the UEFA Player of the Year Award and he finished as runner up to Messi in balloting for the FIFA FIFPro Men’s Player of the Year. Van Dijk was hoping to become the first defender to win the Ballon d’Or since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.
The Ballon d’Or makes it seven individual awards for Messi in the last seven months.
- Pichichi Trophy (La Liga top scorer)
- La Liga Best Player
- Golden Shoe (top scorer in Europe)
- UEFA Forward of the year
- FIFA FIPro World 11
- FIFA FIPro Best Player
The Ballon d’Or Féminin, more commonly known as the Women’s Ballon d’Or was awarded for a second time and the trophy went to Megan Rapinoe of the United States.
Rapinoe finished 9th in voting a year ago but 2019 has been one success after another. She won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards at the Women’s World Cup in France and was named The Best FIFA Women’s Player.
In voting for the FIFA FIFPro Women’s Best Player Award in September Rapinoe finished ahead of fellow USA international Alex Morgan and England’s Lucy Bronze (UEFA Women’s Player of the Year). For the Ballon d’Or, Bronze was runner-up to Rapinoe and Morgan was third.
Norway’s Ada Hegerberg was the winner of the inaugural award in 2018.
Source: Forbes
