Barcelona captain Lionel Messi saw off competition from Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk and Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo to be named FIFA’s Best Men’s Player for 2019.
It is a deserved award for the Argentine who enjoyed another prolific campaign last year, finishing as Europe’s top goalscorer and helping Barcelona retain their La Liga title.
Messi has now won the award six times in his career, more than any other player, and it would be little surprise if he won it a few more times before hanging up his boots.
It was also a good night for Barca team-mate Frenkie de Jong.