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Argentine football Lionel Messi was crowned Ballon d'Or 2019 in Paris on Monday 2 December. The Argentinian striker, author of a new year of first-rate personal, raises the trophy for the best player in the world for the 6th time in his career, a new record in the field.
The "standard" introduced in 2008 is restored. Last year, an "anomaly" had distinguished itself: Luka Modric had won the 2018 Golden Ball, the reward of his good year with Real Madrid, winner of the Champions League, and with Croatia, vice-selection. world champion and of which he was captain. The midfielder thus put an end to ten years of undivided reign of the duo Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo (five Ballons d'Or each between 2008 and 2017, see list below).
The ritual established by the duo of extraterrestrials comes alive with this vintage 2019. This Monday, December 2, the Golden Ball 2019 was awarded to Lionel Messi.
His individual performances allow him to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo
The suspense had gone a bit in recent weeks. The arrival of the smiling Argentinean star at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, to the acclaim of its many fans, set the tone. The absence of Sadio Mané , one of the favorites (Cristiano Ronaldo also missed the call), was another sign. And the award of the title of best player at the FIFA The Best trophies in late September, left little room for doubt: with his individual performance, Lionel Messi has still dazzled the planet football to be honored.
European Golden Shoe 2019 with 36 achievements (his 6th victory in this category rewarding the top scorers in Europe), winner of the Liga with FC Barcelona, the 32-year-old Argentine could have suffered, in the race for the Ballon d 'But the memorable elimination of Barça in the semi-finals of the Champions League against Liverpool and the defeat of Argentina in the semifinals of Copa America against Brazil.
But the Ballon d'Or is a special trophy. Sometimes, we reward the best player in the world, the most talented, the most incredible, the most prolific scorer. Sometimes, we reward the player author of the most beautiful season, like Modric in 2018. In 2019, the disappointing results of Barcelona and the Argentine selection did not prevent Lionel Messi to perform miracles ball at the foot and to raise his 6th Ballon d'Or (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019), a new record in the matter in front of the 5 of Cristiano Ronaldo (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017).
Mané, Van Dijk and the Reds also victims of the dispersion of votes
The competition was tough for the one nicknamed "La Pulga" ("The Chip"). In front of him, very serious candidates could claim the reward. Outsiders who all wear the same tunic: that of Liverpool. Of the 30 finalists of this 2019 Ballon d'Or, 7 play with the Mersey club. And 4 ranked in the Top 10.
It must be said that the victory of the Reds in the Champions League marked this year 2019. Among the brightest men of Jürgen Klopp, two stood out: Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mané.
The Dutchman has been so strong that he is often described as the best defender in the world since playing in Liverpool. Imperial in the hinge, Van Dijk, finalist of the League of Nations with the Netherlands and major frame of these Reds conquerors, had serious arguments in his favor. Defenders are not often rewarded at the Ballon d'Or, and he had his chances.
Sadio Mané had the best season of his career in 2018-2019. Co-top scorer in Premier League (23 goals), the Senegalese has also been brilliant in the Champions League. He also led the Teranga Lions to the final of the African Cup of Nations. Before the fight, the striker had also asked more consideration for this competition.
But finally, neither Virgil van Dijk (2nd), nor Sadio Mané (4th), nor Mohamed Salah (5th), nor Alison Becker (7th), nor Roberto Firmino (17th), nor Trent Alexander-Arnold (19th), nor Georginio Wijnaldum (26th) could not prevent Lionel Messi from handing over the Golden Ball 2019. This is due to the talent of the Argentinian on the one hand, and also to the splitting of the votes between several deserving Reds d 'somewhere else. In 2018 already, the French Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé and Raphaël Varane had suffered from this effect.
Rapinoe as evidence, the promise De Ligt, the rampart Alisson
On the female side, there was almost no suspense. Who else but Megan Rapinoe could claim the 2nd Women's Golden Ball of History? The 2019 world champion American, best player and top scorer in the 2019 World Cup, has simply been above, far above all. She succeeds Sweden's Ada Hegerberg, the first winner of this trophy in 2018.
Because they are too often ignored or not recognized enough, the goalkeepers were given their own trophy for the first time this year. A reward that bears the name of Lev Yachine Trophy, in reference to the mythical Soviet goalkeeper, the only goalkeeper to have won the Golden Ball in 1963. For this title of best goalkeeper of the world in 2019, the two favorites were the Brazilian Alisson Becker (Liverpool) and Germany's Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona). The first finally won.
Finally, the Raymond Kopa Trophy has rewarded the best player in the world under the age of 21. In 2018, for its first edition, this award went quite logically to Kylian Mbappé. The French striker PSG could not pretend to keep his title this year, because according to the rules, you must be under 21 years of age on December 31, 2019 to compete. Mbappé will celebrate his 21st birthday on December 20th. Among the nominated, the Portuguese Joao Felix and the Dutchman Matthijs de Ligt were the favorites. It is the defender who has been crowned.
THE COMPLETE CLASSIFICATION OF THE 2019 MEN'S GOLDEN BALL
1st: Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)
2nd: Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands / Liverpool)
3rd: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Juventus)
4th: Sadio Mané (Senegal / Liverpool)
5th: Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool)
6th: Kylian Mbappé (France / PSG)
7th: Alisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool)
8th: Robert Lewandowski (Poland / Bayern Munich)
9th: Bernardo Silva (Portugal / Manchester City)
10th: Riyad Mahrez (Algeria / Manchester City)
11th: Frenkie de Jong (Netherlands / Ajax Amsterdam & FC Barcelona
12th: Raheem Sterling (England / Manchester City)
13th: Eden Hazard (Belgium / Chelsea & Real Madrid)
14th: Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City)
15th: Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands / Ajax Amsterdam & Juventus)
16th: Sergio Agüero (Argentina / Manchester City)
17th: Roberto Firmino (Brazil / Liverpool)
18th: Antoine Griezmann (France / Atlético de Madrid & FC Barcelona)
19th: Trent Alexander-Arnold (England / Liverpool)
20th: Dusan Tadic (Serbia / Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon / Arsenal)
22nd: Heung-min Son (South Korea / Tottenham)
23rd: Hugo Lloris (France / Tottenham)
24th: Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany / FC Barcelona), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal / Naples)
26th: Karim Benzema (France / Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands / Liverpool)
28th: Marquinhos (Brazil / PSG), Joao Felix (Portugal / Benfica Lisbon & Atletico Madrid), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands / Ajax Amsterdam)
GOLDEN GOLDEN BALLOON 2019 : Megan Rapinoe (USA / Reign FC)
RAYMOND KOPA 2019 TROPHY : Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands / Ajax Amsterdam & Juventus)
LEV YACHINE 2019 TROPHY : Alisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool)
THE LAST 15 WINNERS OF THE MEN'S GOLDEN BALLOON
2019: Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)
2018: Luka Modric (Croatia / Real Madrid)
2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Real Madrid)
2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Real Madrid)
2015: Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)
2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Real Madrid)
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Real Madrid)
2012: Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)
2011: Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)
2010: Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)
2009: Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)
2008: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Manchester United)
2007: Kaka (Brazil / AC Milan)
2006: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy / Juventus & Real Madrid)
2005: Ronaldinho (Brazil / FC Barcelona)
2004: Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine / AC Milan)
2003: Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic / Juventus)
2002: Ronaldo (Brazil / Inter Milan & Real Madrid)
2001: Michael Owen (England / Liverpool)
2000: Luis Figo (Portugal / FC Barcelona & Real Madrid)