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Jose Mourinho grabbed headlines early in the week when he suggested that both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi do not deserve to win the Ballon d'Or.
As expected, his opinion generated controversy and the debate raged on. Ronaldo and Messi have, over the years, been put on a pedestal -- so much so that suggestions that anyone was even close to them was disregarded.
Between 2008 and 2018, the pair won the Ballon d'Or five times each, with Luka Modric's win last year breaking the stranglehold. And this year looks likely to follow that pattern.
While Mourinho might be famous for his controversial comments, the Portuguese is spot on with his assessment this time. Here are three reasons why neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo deserve to win the 2019 Ballon d'Or.
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#3 They both failed to deliver the Champions League
Prior to the kickoff of the 2018/19 season, both Ronaldo and Messi were on different paths to the same goal -- to win the Champions League.
The Portuguese international had just completed a mega transfer to Juventus and was seen as the final piece of the puzzle to bring the continental prize to Turin, while Messi was determined to return Europe's top trophy back to Nou Camp after a three-year dominance by rivals Real Madrid.
The Argentine international promised as much in his first statement as captain and his breathtaking performance at the start of the competition showed that he was determined to make good on his pledge.
Having almost single-handedly carried the Blaugrana all the way to the semi-final, Messi put in another masterclass in the first leg of the last four clash with Liverpool, scoring a wonderful brace as Barcelona defeated their opponents 3-0 to put them in good stead heading into the second leg.
However, in a manner eerily similar to their capitulation against AS Roma the previous season, Barcelona lost the plot and were beaten 4-0 by Liverpool at Anfield with Messi failing to make an impact on the result.
In Italy, Ronaldo started the Champions League campaign slowly, scoring just one goal from five group stage matches. However, in typical fashion, the Champions League record goalscorer took the tournament by storm in the knockout stages with his hat-trick to overturn a 2-0 first leg deficit and eliminate Atletico.
In the quarterfinal, he overcame an injury to star with a goal as Juventus held a youthful Ajax side to a 1-1 draw in Netherlands, but despite scoring in the second leg, the Real Madrid legend was powerless to stop his side's elimination by the Dutch champions.
Both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi failed in their respective missions to bring the Champions League to their clubs and while they might have another shot at international glory at the Copa America and the UEFA Nations League, neither tournament is likely to weigh heavily in deciding the Ballon d'Or winner.
#2 Ronaldo was outscored by multiple players
Over the years, Cristiano Ronaldo has cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greatest goalscorers. The 34-year-old's numbers are well documented, but he also seems to have perfected the ability to score when it matters most.
However, in 2018/19, the Portuguese failed to meet his usual levels. His age, a new league and years of optimum performance took a toll on him. In total, he scored 28 goals in all competitions, with 21 coming in the league. These are his lowest totals since his last season at Manchester United in 2009, when he scored 18 league goals and 26 in all competitions.
He's some way behind other top strikers, finishing fourth in the race to be crowned Capocannoniere, behind Fabio Quagliarella of Sampdoria (26 goals), Duvan Zapata of Atalanta (23 goals) and Kryzysztof Piatek (22 goals). In Europe, he was further down the pecking order, finishing in an unfamiliar 14th position as Lionel Messi won a record-extending sixth European Golden Shoe.
While Messi might have kept to his usual monstrous levels in front of goal, scoring 51 goals from 50 matches in all competitions, his eternal rival 'struggled' and the numbers rule him out of the running for a sixth Ballon d'Or.
#1 Virgil Van Dijk outperformed them both in all competitions
A little over a year ago, the word solid and Liverpool's defense could not be used in the same sentence. The Reds, while offering attacking thrill, had a weak defence, with goalkeepers and defenders combining to lose the club matches.
However, all that has changed since the arrival of Virgil van Dijk for a world record fee of £75m from Southampton. Under his watch, the 27-year-old has helped transform Liverpool's defence from calamitous into impenetrable with his leadership ability, superb tackling and positioning.
He helped Liverpool set up the meanest defence in England, conceding just 22 goals all season. More proof of his impact is the fact that no player has dribbled past the Netherlands international in his last 64 matches for Liverpool.
It's even more impressive considering the center-back has come up against virtually every world-class forward operating in the game today, including the likes of Messi, Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero, Robert Lewandowski, Eden Hazard, Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez.
His displays helped Liverpool to their thrilling but ultimately heartbreaking Premier League title tilt, but he was not to be denied in the Champions League. He has also captained Netherlands to the semi-final of the maiden UEFA Nations League, topping a group that included the last two World Cup winners.
Van Dijk was deservedly named the PFA Players' Player of the Year, becoming the first defender since John Terry in 2005 to win the award and on the strength of his performance across all competitions, he deserves to be the first defender to win football's premier individual prize since Fabio Cannavaro.
