Lionel Messi has admitted his frustration at seeing Sadio Mane finish outside the top three in the Ballon d’Or after revealing he is a huge fan of the Liverpool forward.
Messi came out on top in the awards ceremony on Monday and in doing so became the player to win the prize the most
number of times, with this his sixth Ballon d’Or.
Speaking to Canal+ Messi said:
“It’s a shame to see Mane finish in fourth place. But I think there have been a lot of great players this year.
That’s why it was difficult to choose a particular player.
“Mane achieved a great year that was exceptional for the entire Liverpool team. That’s why I chose him. I repeat, there
were a lot of very great players this year, so the choice was difficult.”
As well as Mane and van Dijk two other Liverpool players finished in the top ten, with Mo Salah coming fifth and goalkeeper Alisson Becker seventh.
READ: BREAKING: Lionel Messi wins Ballon d’Or 2019 ahead of Virgil Van Dijk
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