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Ronaldo and Messi don't deserve the FIFA Best award over Virgil Van Dijk

Virgil Van Dijk finds himself in esteemed company in the three-man shortlist for the 2019 Best FIFA Men’s Player Award. He’s up against 5 time Ballon d’Or/World Player of the Year Leo Messi and fellow five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Since Messi and Ronaldo are two of the greatest players ever to kick a ball, logic dictates that one of them should win it. But Van Dijk is actually the favorite—and he totally deserves to win.

Few will dispute the 28-year-old is the best defender in the world right now, and he was the missing piece in Liverpool’s defence that has transformed them into one of the best sides in Europe.

They conceded 22 goals last season, the fewest of any team in Europe’s top five leagues.

And he went for 65 games without any player dribbling past him—including Leo Messi!

And of course, Van Dijk won the biggest prize on offer in the men’s game in the last year: the Champions League. He also led the Netherlands to the Nations League final, as their captain.

Crucially, he’s already picked up UEFA’s Player of the Year Award—becoming the first defender to do so. If he beat Messi and Ronaldo to that one, it follows that he should also pick up the FIFA Best award.

Naturally, his competition for this prize has been very good: Ronaldo scored 28 goals with Juventus and beat Van Dijk in the Nations League Final.

And Messi scored an incredible 51 goals in 50 games, picking up another Liga title, and the Golden Boots in the league and the Champions League.

But Messi and Ronaldo have both posted bigger numbers than those in previous years, while winning bigger prizes. And this award isn’t about who is the best player in general - it’s who has had the best year.

If Luka Madrid could pip them both to the award last year, then Van Dijk should absolutely be a shoe-in for this award. And he is! The ceremony will take place on September 23rd in Milan.