Barcelona’s Lionel Messi beat the duo of Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool to clinch the 2019 prestigious FIFA world’s best player award in the men’s category for the sixth time.
He had previously won the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
The 32-year-old Argentine was instructmental to Barca’s win of the La Liga title and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.
In the women’s category, United States Megan Rapinoe, 34, won the Golden Ball for being the best player at the 2019 Women’s World Cup following her impressive display at the tournament.
Lyon’s Lucy Bronze, 27, was the only English player to be named in the women’s team of the year.
United States of America’s coach Jill Ellis, bagged the women’s coach award.
The 53-year-old coach, lead the United States to the World Cup trophy in 2015.
Other managers nominated for the award includes Netherlands’ Sarina Wiegman, and Englands’ Phil Neville, whose side finished in fourth place.
