Virgil van Dijk Insists There Will Be 'No Losers' in Race for Ballon d'Or Against Lionel Messi

​Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has insisted that he will not feel like a loser if he comes up short in the race for the Ballon d'Or on Monday.

The Dutchman is one of the major contenders to bring home the prestigious prize, but he will be coming up against Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who is seen by many as the out-and-out favourite to pick up the award.

Speaking ahead of the event (via ​Sky Sports), Van Dijk was adamant that just making it onto the shortlist is a huge compliment, so it will still feel like a major success for him just by being there.

"I am going to have a look at what it is about. I am going to be there for a reason and there are no losers on the evening," he said. "I am very proud to be in that bracket, to be in there for the way I performed with the team last year and also with the country.

"It is just something to be proud of because not a lot of players go there and are up for these kind of things. 

"There's going to be a winner but there are no losers. We will see what happens."

Van Dijk beat ​Messi to the UEFA Player of the Year award, but saw the ​Barcelona man take home the FIFA World Player of the Year prize back in September, and there have been rumours that Messi has already been confirmed as the winner of the Ballon d'Or.

An image emerged on social media of what claims to be ​the final standings of the race for the award, with Messi the clear winner ahead of Van Dijk. ​Liverpool teammate ​Mohamed Salah is said to have earned third place.

There is no way of knowing whether that leaked image is true, but the alleged results would not come as too much of a surprise. The Argentine managed a ludicrous 51 goals and 22 assists in just 50 appearances last season, but Van Dijk's stellar individual showings have certainly earned him a place in the top two.

It will certainly be a close battle between the two, but it seems like Van Dijk is prepared for any possible outcome.