Argentine Lionel Messi beat Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo to win the best FIFA player of the year award for a record sixth time on Monday.
Best FIFA Football Awards 2019: Lionel Messi, Megan Rapinoe win top prize
Messi, who won the Spanish La Liga title with Barcelona last season as well as the European golden boot, last won the award in 2015.
His win is somewhat of a surprise with Van Dijk, a centre back who transformed Liverpool’s defence on the way to the Champions League crown, having won the European best player award.
Messi’s win at the La Scala Opera house in Milan also marks a return to the dominance of the Argentine and Ronaldo, who between them have won the award all but once since 2007.
U.S. co-captain Megan Rapinoe won the women’s top award after helping her country to the World Cup title this year.
She beat fellow co-captain Alex Morgan and England’s Lucy Bronze.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson won the best goalkeeper ahead of Manchester City’s Ederson and Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp was named men’s coach of the year.
Klopp was nominated for the award along with two other Premier League bosses – Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino.
The Best Fifa Football Awards 2019 winners in full:
Best Fifa Women’s Player
Lucy Bronze
Alex Morgan
Megan Rapinoe – WINNER!
Best Fifa Women’s Player
Lucy Bronze
Alex Morgan
Megan Rapinoe – WINNER!
Best Fifa Men’s Coach
Pep Guardiola
Jurgen Klopp – WINNER!
Mauricio Pochettino
Best Fifa Women’s Coach
Jill Ellis – WINNER!
Phil Neville
Sarina Wiegman
Fifa Puskas Award
Lionel Messi
Juan Fernando Quintero
Daniel Zsori – WINNER!
Best Fifa Men’s Goalkeeper
Alisson Becker – WINNER!
Ederson
Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Best Fifa Women’s Goalkeeper
Christiane Endler
Hedwig Lindahl
Sari van Veenendaal – WINNER!
Fifa Fan Award
Silvia Grecco – WINNER!
Justo Sanchez
Netherlands fans
FIFPro Men’s World XI
Alisson Becker (BRA) – Liverpool
Matthijs de Ligt (NED) – Ajax / Juventus
Sergio Ramos (ESP) – Real Madrid
Virgil van Dijk (NED) – Liverpool
Marcelo (BRA) – Real Madrid
Luka Modric (CRO) – Real Madrid
Frenkie de Jong (NED) – Ajax/Barcelona
Eden Hazard (BEL) – Chelsea/ Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) – Juventus
Kylian Mbappe (FRA) – Paris Saint-Germain
Lionel Messi (ARG) – Barcelona
FIFPro Women’s World XI
Sari van Veenendaal (NED) – Arsenal / Atletico Madrid
Lucy Bronze (ENG) – Olympique Lyonnais
Wendie Renard (FRA) – Olympique Lyonnais
Nilla Fischer (SWE) – VfL Wolfsburg / Linkopings
Kelley O’Hara (USA) – Utah Royals
Amandine Henry (FRA) – Olympique Lyonnais
Julie Ertz (USA) – Chicago Red Stars
Rose Lavelle (USA) – Washington Spirit
Megan Rapinoe (USA) – Reign FC
Marta (BRA) – Orlando Pride
Alex Morgan (USA) – Orlando Pride