The Ballon d’Or will be awarded tonight with Lionel Messi and Virgil van Dijk among the favourites.
Lionel Messi has reportedly already been told that he will win the Ballon d’Or at a meeting in Barcelona. The Argentine forward is among the favourites to win the gong with Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk also in contention following a superb season for the Reds.
Messi has won five Ballon d’Or titles during a glittering career while Van Dijk is yet to get his hands on the prize.
Both had exceptional seasons in 2018/19 with Van Dijk helping the Reds win the Champions League.
But reports now suggest that Messi has won it with journalist Francesc Aguilar claiming that two representatives of France Football, who run the Ballon d’Or awards, met Messi in Barcelona.
It’s also been reported that the representatives conducted an interview with Messi, while also taking the traditional photo with the trophy that will adorn their magazine.
Messi has not won the Ballon d’Or since 2015 though finished second in 2016 and 2017.
hough Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde believes his man should be picking up his sixth Ballon d’Or on Monday.
“I don’t follow these awards galas because they are too long. My vote, well, I guess, is the same as yours,” he said.
“I would vote for the best, obviously. Ever year you always vote depending on how the seasons have gone for the players.
“But if you have to give it to the best, let’s just give it to Messi and the problem is solved.”
But Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is backing Van Dijk for the gong, which is awarded to the best player of the 2018/19 season.
“If you give the Ballon d’Or to the best player of this generation then you should give it always to Lionel Messi. That’s how it is,” Klopp said.
“But if you give it to the best player of last season, then it was Virgil van Dijk. I don’t know exactly how it will work but that is how I see it.
“The best player of all? That’s Lionel. Best player of last season? That’s Virgil. We will see.”
Ballon d’Or shortlists
Men:
Sadio Mane (SEN/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (ARG/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (NED/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (FRA/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (SER/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (FRA/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (ENG/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (NED/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (GAB/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (GER/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Juventus), Alisson (BRA/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (NED/Juventus), Karim Benzema (FRA/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (NED/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (NED/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (POR/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (KOR/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (POL/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (BRA/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (ARG/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (ALG/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (BEL/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (SEN/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (FRA/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (EGY/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (BRA/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (ENG/Manchester City), Joao Félix(POR/Atletico Madrid)
Women:
Sam Kerr (AUS/Chelsea), Ellen White (ENG/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (SWE/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (FRA/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(ENG/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (NED/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (GER/Lyon), Pernille Harder (DEN/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (FRA/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (NED/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (NED/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (FRA/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (BRA/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (NOR/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (SWE/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (SWE/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)
Source:www.express.co.uk