The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2019: Ranking the top ten contenders for the award

#7 Matthijs de Ligt (Formerly Ajax and the Netherlands)

Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur - 2019 International Champions Cup

Matthijs de Ligt stands out from the younger nominees courtesy of the agility and maturity he possesses at the age of 19.

The Ajax academy graduate became the Dutch giants' youngest captain and led them to a domestic double (the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup) as well as the semi-finals of the Champions League.

The Champions League was the grand stage on which the squad of youngsters played beautiful football, winning hearts across the globe throughout what has been dubbed a 'fairytale campaign'.

Under De Ligt's leadership, Ajax got ahead of titans like Real Madrid and Juventus, with the defender famously scoring the winning goal in the quarter-finals of the competition to emerge as surprising favourites for the title.

The centre-back earned several admirers including Cristiano Ronaldo, who asked him to join Juventus this summer. It was only a matter of time until the Bianconeri signed him for a combined fee of €75 million.

Internationally, the former Ajax captain helped the Netherlands reach the final of the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League, where they were beaten by Portugal.

De Ligt joins a league of defenders who are increasingly proving themselves to be worthy of individual awards, that have been otherwise dominated by attacking players, and it is no exaggeration to say he will get there sooner or later.