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'Messi my favourite to lift Ballon d'Or' - Carragher admits Argentinian ahead of Van Dijk

Jamie Carragher feels that Lionel Messi is in pole position to win the 2019 Ballon d’Or despite pressure from Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.

Van Dijk couldn’t help Netherlands to silverware on Sunday as they lost 1-0 in the Nations League final thanks to Goncalo Guedes’ 60th minute strike for Portugal, and the ex-Reds centre-back says he would favour an attacker for the award.

“I saw he’s gone ahead of Messi in the betting,” he told Sky Sports.

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“I’d be thinking Messi to be honest – very rarely you see a centre-back get that.