Lionel Messi has stated Sadio Mane was his pick for the 2019 Ballon d'Or because of his achievements with Liverpool.
The Argentine beat Mane's teammate Virgil van Dijk and his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo to the gong in Paris on Monday night for a record sixth time, while Mane polled fourth.
He still didn't stop short of praising the former Southampton man.
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"It’s a shame to see Mane finish in fourth place," Messi told Canal+.
"But I think there have been a lot of great players this year.