The dust has now settled on the Ballon d’Or, and Lionel Messi has walked away with the award.
The Barcelona forward has picked up the prestigious individual trophy for the sixth time in his career, which is the most of any player in the history of the game. He won by the smallest margin of any of his victories – he beat Virgil van Dijk by just seven votes – but it is his golden ball to take home all the same.
Liverpool had another three players in the top 10, with Sadio Mane coming home in fourth position. The 61-time Senegal international picked up 347 votes after an impressive season that saw him take home the Premier League Golden Boot in the previous campaign.
The fans were clearly delighted to see him do so well, and they let their delight show on social media platform Twitter.
It was a fantastic campaign for the former Southampton man. He scored 22 goals in the Premier League for the Reds, and 26 in all competitions. That helped his team win the Champions League, whilst he also contributed to his country reaching the final of the African Cup of Nations.
Some fans thought it wasn’t good enough, though. Cristiano Ronaldo finished above Mane, and many were flabbergasted that that was the case.
It seems harsh to question whether Ronaldo was deserving of his place in the top three. The Portugal international did score 28 goals in 43 matches for Juventus, helping them lift the Serie A title along the way. Also, he scored 14 goals for his country during the calendar year as they won the UEFA Nations League.
Not only that, but some thought Mane should have actually taken first spot.
Given that Messi scored 51 goals in 50 matches and Virgil van Dijk’s contributed to the best defence in the Premier League, it seems hard to imagine Mane winning, even if he impressed.
We’re sure there will be just as many debates in next year’s edition.
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