Will one of Messi or Ronaldo secure their 6th Ballon d'Or award, or will we see a new winner entirely in 2019?
#4 Virgil van Dijk
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Virgil Van Dijk has cemented his reputation as one of the best centre-backs in the world with his world-class displays for Liverpool this season.
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The Dutchman's commanding presence in the backline helped Liverpool keep three successive clean sheets in the league in April, against Chelsea, Huddersfield and Cardiff.
Another clean sheet against Porto in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie meant Liverpool had one foot in the semifinal, and Van Dijk followed it up by netting a goal of his own in the return leg to secure their progression.
While he met his match against Barcelona and Lionel Messi in the semifinal, it was arguably one of his only poor displays all season.
Van Dijk was rewarded for his consistently brilliant performances with the PFA Player of the Year award and if he can help Liverpool to a historic Premier League title, he will surely be able to crack the top two in this list.
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About the author
Arvind Sriram
After a brief and undistinguished stint as an electrical engineer, Arvind discovered his true calling was churning out hyperbolic prose about athletes he had never met.
A writer and editor with close to a decade’s experience, Arvind’s work has been published on Sky Sports, the BBC, the Guardian and other leading websites. He has attended multiple Grand Slams on the ground and provided coverage for Super Bowls and the NBA playoffs.
As a lifelong fan of Arsenal and the Indianapolis Colts, he has mastered the art of managing expectations and can convince anyone that finishing fourth is a moral victory.
When not armchair quarterbacking, Arvind spends his time playing blitz chess online, watching air crash documentaries and smashing controllers after his latest Weekend League defeat.
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