Lionel Messi outshines Ronaldo to take home The 2019 Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi has scored 46 goals in 54 matches so far in 2019

Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittin took home the prestigious award last night as he beat Liverpool’s Netherlands centre-back Virgil van Dijk and his longest bitter rival Christiano Ronaldo.

Messi who was largely involved in Barcelona’s success over the last 12 months scored 46 goals and created 17 to become the most prolific forward in Europe. The Barcelona Captain who has hit the 45-goal mark every single year for the past decade took his tally to 6 Ballon d’Or moving one more ahead of Christiano Ronaldo.

Messi who was injury prone as the season kicked off and who had managed only 90 minutes prior to October has produced a string of heroic performances and even saved Barcelona when they needed him more.

Despite missing the first five Laliga matches he is already 2nd Laliga topscorer, also ranked first with most assists, 2nd with most dribbles and first with most through-balls. His latest masterclass against Atletico Madrid on Sunday proved his class.

The Argentine thanked all the journalists who voted for him and did not fail to recognise the contribution of his teammates towards the glory in Paris.

The greatest beautifier of the game had already scooped The Men Best FIFA Football Awards2019 ahead of Christiano. Some of his goals and free kicks not just being an art but a science too.

Here is Messi’s Incredible Career so far since making Barcelona debut at the age of 16

  • Appearences- 701 for Barcelona, 138 for Argentina
  • Goals- 684; 614 goals for Barcelona including record breaking 428 in Laliga, 70 goals for Argentina
  • Hat-tricks- 52; 46 for Barcelona, six for Argentina.
  • 91 – goals scored in 2012, breaking the calendar-year record set by German Gerd Muller in 1972.
  • Trophies- 34 won with Barca including 10 Laliga Titles and 4 Champions League titles
    6 Ballon d’Ors
  • 2008 – Olympic gold in Beijing is Messi’s only major honour with Argentina.

The last nights award adds more glory to the Barcelona’s forward trophy cabinet and he has a better gap to see off his competitor if he excels more in Europe in the 2019/20 season .

Other top ten finalists included Sadio Mane, Mohammed Salah, Kylian Mbappe, Alisson Becker, Robert Lewandowski, Bernado Silva and Riyad Mahrez.

Meanwhile Alisson Becker scooped The Inaugural Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper ahead Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Ederson Moraes while Juventus centre back Matthijs de Ligt walked away with The Kopa Trophy for the best U21 player of the year.

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