Virgil van Dijk has been named Uefa's Men's Player of the Year, beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the prestigious award after collecting more votes than the two superstars combined, writing history in doing so.
Click through the gallery above to see this year's top 10 for the Uefa Men's Player of the Year award.
The wrote his name into history, becoming the first ever defender to lift the award after playing an instrumental role in Liverpool's title-winning Champions League campaign.
In addition, he was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year after leading his side to a runners-up finish in the Premier League and finished as a runner-up with Netherlands in the inaugural Uefa Nations League, qualifying from a group with 2018 FIFA World Cup winners France and Germany.
Van Dijk received 305 voting points from the jury, while Messi finished in second place with 207 points and Ronaldo in third with 74 points.
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However, Van Dijk and the Netherlands were beaten to the Nations League title by Ronaldo's Portugal, with the Juventus superstar also finishing the finals as the top goalscorer. In addition, he also won the Serie A title and the Supercoppa Italiana in his debut season in Italy.
His milestones in 2018/19 included reaching 400 league goals and being named Serie A's Most Valuable Player.
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Messi, meanwhile, finished the previous campaign as the top goalscorer in the Uefa Champions League, and also picked up the European Golden Shoe, in addition to claiming his 10th LaLiga title and the Supercopa de Espana.
He finished 2018/19 with 51 goals and 22 assists in 50 games, and also hit a few incredible personal milestones, most notably becoming the first player to reach 400 league goals in one of Europe's top five leagues, as well as notching his 600th goal for a single club.
Read: The 10 Previous Uefa Men's Player Of The Year Winners
Note: Only players who ply their trade in Europe, irrespective of nationality, and who have been judged on their performances over the whole season – both domestically and internationally – were eligible for the award. A jury comprising of the 80 club coaches who participated in the group stages of the Champions League and Uefa Europa League, plus 50 journalists selected by the European Sports Media group voted for their favourites. Each jury member chose their top three players, with the first receiving five points, the second three points, and the third one point.
Do you think Messi had a better 2018/19 than Van Dijk and Ronaldo? Have your say in the comments section below.
