4 Reasons why Lionel Messi might not win the Ballon d'Or award this year

#1 Fierce competition

Van Dijk remains a huge threat to Messi's Ballon d'Or chances.

This year's Ballon d'Or battle is similar to the one we witnessed in 2018 - there's no outright favourite. Lionel Messi and Virgil Van Dijk are considered the strongest candidates but Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be written off either - courtesy of his exploits at both club and international levels during the year.

The Portuguese enjoyed a stellar campaign with Juventus bagging 28 goals and 10 assists for the Bianconeri across all competitions. He won the Serie A Player Of The Year award and he was highly influential as Portugal cruised to the UEFA Nations League triumph - finishing with the Golden Boot as the top scorer.

Van Dijk's exploits continue to make a strong case for him in the race for the Ballon d'Or. The Dutchman was outstanding as Liverpool went all the way to UEFA Champions League glory last season. He also enjoyed a decent outing in the Premier League and he played a solid role as Netherlands made it into the final of the UEFA Nations League.

Van Dijk won the PFA Player Of The Year award for last season and recently edged out Messi and Ronaldo to claim the UEFA Best Player of the Year award. With many still of the opinion that the Dutchman deserves to be crowned the best player in the world for this year, Messi really needs to watch his back.