Three and a half years after last winning the Ballon d’Or, in January 2016, Lionel Messi was crowned king of world football again. He won FIFA’s The Best award in Milan on Monday.
After the votes of captains, coaches, journalists and fans, Messi emerged ahead of Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus).
It is the first The Best prize that Messi has won. In the first year it started, 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo took it, then he did so again the next year, and in 2018 Luka Modric triumphed.
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino presented Messi with the award at the La Scala Milan theatre.
Messi has five Ballon d’Ors and one The Best, as well as six Golden Shoes.