VOETBAL
Messi wint zesde Ballon d’Or
December 3, 2019 - Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has claimed his sixth Ballon d’Or after a vote by journalists and football contemporaries at the 64th annual ceremony of the Ballon d’Or awards, presented by France Football.
The prestigious prize for the Argentine capped a year where he lifted a tenth La Liga title with Barcelona, scoring 54 goals for club and country to secure his sixth European Golden Boot and Champions League top scorer.
Messi topped the 30-man shortlist to claim the 2019 award, beating five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, and seven players from Champions League winners Liverpool, including defender Virgil van Dijk.
2018 winner Luka Modric, who broke a decade of dominance by Messi and Ronaldo, did not make this year’s shortlist.