Ballon d'Or 2019: Messi Wins Sixth Award, Van Dijk Second

Messi Breaks His Own Record With Sixth Award

Lionel Messi has won a record-breaking sixth Ballon d'Or, edging out Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo to the prestigious award.

The Barcelona forward was the clear favorite after a stellar year in which he won La Liga and the Copa del Rey, and led Argentina to the Copa América semi-finals.

Messi's victory means he now has two more Ballon d'Or awards than Ronaldo, who has five.

Van Dijk Has Stellar Year, Finishes Second

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk had a stellar year, winning the Champions League and Premier League with the Reds.

He was also named UEFA Men's Player of the Year and was a key part of the Netherlands team that reached the Nations League final.

Van Dijk's second-place finish is the highest ever for a defender in the Ballon d'Or.

Ronaldo Finishes Third, Extends Scoring Record

Cristiano Ronaldo finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting, despite another impressive year for Juventus.

The Portuguese forward scored 28 goals in Serie A and helped Juventus win the league and Supercoppa Italiana.

Ronaldo also extended his record as the all-time leading scorer in the Champions League, scoring 12 goals in the competition last season.

Ballon d'Or 2019 Final Ranking

The final ranking for the 2019 Ballon d'Or is as follows:

1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
2. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
4. Sadio Mané (Liverpool)
5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
6. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain)
7. Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
8. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
9. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
10. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)