Ballon d'Or 2019: Barcelona's Lionel Messi Wins Record Breaking 6th Golden Ball Award

​Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or for a record breaking sixth time after an astonishing 2019 for the GOAT.

The Argentine has been in phenomenal form since returning from injury in September, scoring 11 times and grabbing eight assists for La Blaugrana. He was equally influential for Ernesto Valverde's men last term, with Messi's 73 goal-involvements during 2018/19 helping Barça to a fourth La Liga title in five years.

Though Virgil van Dijk has been a colossal figure in ​Liverpool's backline, both he and Cristiano Ronaldo were overlooked by voters, the pair finishing second and third in the standings respectively.

Fellow Reds stars Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah placed fourth and fifth, whilse the side's goalkeeper Alisson came in seventh, having won the Yachine Trophy earlier in the evening.

Messi and Ronaldo were the only two players to win the Ballon d'Or between 2008 and 2017, but Luka Modric's immaculate displays for ​Real Madrid and Croatia saw him clinch the award last year.

There have been several unforgettable moments for the South American this calendar year, including scoring his 600th goal for Barcelona with a mesmerising free-kick in the first leg of the club's ​Champions League semi final meeting with Liverpool.

His glorious chipped goal versus Real Betis in March saw Messi named as runner-up in the FIFA Puskas Award, though no one was able to stop him winning the Best Male Player prize at the ceremony in Milan.

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