The race for the Ballon d’Or is hotting up and many believe the award will be a toss up between Virgil van Dijk and Lionel Messi.
Both players have had incredible years and it will be interesting to see if the Dutchman can become the first defender since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 to win the prize.
All in all, 15 Premier League players were named on the shortlist for the prestigious prize alongside five-times winners Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.
But who deserves it the most? talkSPORT.com has ranked all 30 nominees by their form in 2019 and given its verdict.
Have a look at our results below…
30. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)
An interesting nominee to say the least.
The Frenchman did captain his side to their first Champions League final which is something.
29. Heung-Min Son (Tottenham)
The South Korean dazzled for the most part of the year but Spurs’ poor form at the end of last season and so far this term has seen his influence halted.
28. Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool)
The Dutchman’s role in Liverpool’s incredible Champions League victory over Barcelona cannot be understated, but he hasn’t got a shout for the top prize.
27. Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
The youngster, who became the fifth most expensive player of all time following his £115m to Atletico, has bags of talent but is not yet worthy of the award despite a great start in the Spanish capital.
26. Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)
Another imperious year for the Senegalese defender and unquestionably one of the best defenders in the world, but he didn’t win a thing so doesn’t stand a chance.
25. Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
The Belgian had a difficult campaign due to injury last term but has been phenomenal so far this season and has 19 assists already this year.
24. Riyad Mahrez (Man City)
The Algerian wide man accumulated an impressive amount of trophies this season – even for his country as they won the Africa Cup Nations, but struggled to break into the City first-team due to their other high flyers.
23. Marquinhos (PSG)
The Brazilian adapted into a holding midfielder to good effect but is still yet to get his hands on the prestigious Champions League trophy with the Parisiens.
22. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
The Gabon international was a shining light in another poor campaign for the Gunners and was awarded the Golden Boot after scoring 22 goals in the Premier League – but had to share it with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
21. Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)
The Catalan giants had many flaws last campaign but it could have been a lot worse without their superb German stopper.
20. Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona)
It hasn’t been the Frenchman’s best year but is beginning to get up and running at his new club and will be eyeing the top individual prize next year.
19. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
The Frenchman was a shining light in an otherwise dismal campaign for Real Madrid. Without Cristiano Ronaldo around he scored 30 goals in 53 games. He’s already got six in 11 this term too.
18. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
The Pole once again bullied defences both in Europe and in Germany, netting 34 goals this year. Tottenham felt his full force too.
17. Donny van de Beek (Ajax)
Somewhat overshadowed by the stellar efforts of his teammates, the forward was so influential for the Dutch champions.
16. Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
PSG once again failed to deliver in the Champions League and that is why Mbappe doesn’t have a shout for this individual prize.
15. Sergio Aguero (Man City)
The Argentine marksman was again a machine this year, scoring 27 times as City completed the domestic treble, and his form doesn’t seem to be slowing with age.
14. Eden Hazard (Real Madrid)
It’s been a slow start to his Real career but the Belgian was once again phenomenal for Chelsea in the Premier League and has also impressed with his national team.
13. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
He’s not yet starring at an international level but he is redefining the modern full-back, with his delivery and surging runs crucial to Jurgen Klopp’s Champions League-winning side.
12. Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus)
The Juventus defender is the frontrunner for the Golden Boy award and he deserves to be for his incredible leadership skills for Ajax in their European run. His form has dropped since his move to Juve, though.
11. Dusan Tadic (Ajax)
The Serb was also instrumental for the Dutch champions in Europe and his performance against Real in the quarter-finals was one for the ages.
10. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)
The least prolific of Liverpool’s front three but no less crucial to the side, Firmino is redefining the role of the false nine.
9. Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
The midfielder’s performance for Ajax throughout the year were mesmeric and he already looks to have cemented a spot in Barcelona’s XI for many years to come.
8. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Despite missing out on the Premier League, it was another incredible campaign for the Egyptian, who scored in the Champions League final to claim his first trophy for the Reds.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
2019 was the year the Portuguese superstar hit his 700th goal but it was for his national team where he was more dominant, netting several goals to help his side to UEFA Nations League glory.
6. Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
The Brazilian’s rise to stardom has been meteoric and he is only getting better, securing the Premier League Golden Glove thanks to 21 clean sheets and coming up big in several key games, including the Champions League semi-final and final.
5. Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Just like Salah, Mane had a brilliant season and he will be dissapointed he could not overcome the final hurdle after falling in the final of the Africa Cup of the Nations to Algeria.
4. Raheem Sterling (Man City)
The England winger has brought his game to a new level and will almost certainly be in contention for the top prize if he continues his remarkable form.
3. Bernardo Silva (Man City)
No other player in world football won as many trophies as Silva did in 2019 but still the Portuguese playmaker’s spotless displays do not earn him the credit they deserve.
2. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpol)
The towering Dutch defender’s consistently superb performances this year have already earned him a string of accolades – he even went over a year without being dribbled past by anyone!
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
The little Argentine once again won the Golden Shoe after scoring 44 goals, and due to the fact the award is an individual prize, we cannot look past Messi for the top award again.
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