This defender is the one to really look out for when it comes to choosing the one who takes home the most prestigious individual award this year. The Dutchman was a part of the Liverpool team that dumped Messi’s Barcelona out of the Champions League.
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The Dutchman's sturdy defensive duties during the term were paramount as Liverpool pushed for the Premier League title, and if not for a string of poor performances against smaller clubs, they could have won it. Nevertheless, the defender is not without a trophy to show for. He won the Champions League title with The Reds, and also inspired his Dutch team to the final of the European Nations League, where they lost to Ronaldo's Portugal.
Van Dijk finished second behind Messi in the running for the FIFA The Best award recently, and he will surely offer serious competition to the Argentine for the Ballon d'Or once again. If anyone could beat Messi to the accolade, it'd surely be van Dijk.
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About the author
Jidonu Mauyon
Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.
Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.
Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.
In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.
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