In the
world of soccer, there is one individual award coveted above all others, the Ballon d’Or. The award had, for almost a decade been dominated by just two men, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who each won it 5 times over the course of the decade. However, in 2018 the Ballon d’Or judges surprised many choosing to give the award to World Cup Golden Boot winner Luka Modrić. This left many questioning whether or not the duopoly of Ronaldo and Messi could continue their hold on soccer’s most coveted award.
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The simple answer is, probably. The 30-man 2019 Ballon d’Or shortlist was announced earlier this week and no surprise, both Ronaldo and Messi are on the list. They do, however have competition and neither are the favourite with the bookies to win the award. Below are the top five favourites of the 30-man shortlist.
5. Sadio Mane (20/1)
Although seen as the lesser of two in the Liverpool squad next to Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane has impressed both for his club and country. Mane racked up 22 goals for his club in the 2018/19 season and guided Senegal to the final of the African Cup of Nations where the team eventually lost to Algeria 0-1.
4. Alisson (20/1)
A very rare goalkeeper in the running to win a Ballon d’Or, Alisson has proven himself a valuable asset at Liverpool. The Brazilian-born keeper made crucial saved during Liverpool’s European Cup run, none more so than against Napoli.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (18/1)
Many felt that when Cristiano Ronaldo was transferred away from La Liga to Italy that his talents would quickly be extinguished. However, this turned out not to be the case. During his first year with Juventus in Serie A, the Portuguese legend scored 21 goals in 31 games.
2. Lionel Messi (7/4)
Few in word soccer can claim the unstoppable goal scoring acumen of the diminutive Messi. The Barcelona front-man scored 36 goals and assisted in 15 more leading his club to yet another La Liga title. In addition, Messi would score 12 goals in just 10 games during Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final.
1. Virgil Van Dijk (2/5)
Currently the favourite to win the 2019 Ballon d’Or, Virgil Van Dijk has shone in a Liverpool squad crowded with outstanding performances. Van Dijk played every league game of Liverpool’s 2018/19 season acting as a talisman that players could rally around.
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