Van Dijk beats Messi & Salah to top 25 best players of Goal, Ronaldo 4th

Virgil van Dijk has been crowned winners of Goal 50 for 2019.

Dutch centre-back Van Dijk beat strong competition from Barcelona captain Lionel Messi and Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah to become the first defender to win the annual award.

It caps a remarkable year for Van Dijk, who played a pivotal role in his club's sensational Champions League triumph, with the Netherlands international turning in a man of the match-winning display in the 2-0 win over Tottenham in the final in Madrid.

“I am very proud to have been named at No.1 in Goal 50 for 2019," Van Dijk told Goal. "To be recognised among the great players in world football is very special for me."



The 28-year-old also helped his country reach the final of the Nations League, which played a role in him pipping a resurgent Messi to top spot.

The four-time Goal 50 winner suffered more international heartbreak with Argentina, who were beaten by Brazil in controversial circumstances in the semi-finals of the Copa America.

However, Messi was once again in sensational form for Barcelona last season, netting a remarkable 51 goals in just 50 appearances in 2018-19, and finishes second in the men's list.

Of course, the 32-year-old's outrageous strike-rate wasn't enough to bring the Champions League back to Catalunya, as Barca were upset by Liverpool in the last four.



Salah, third in Goal 50 for 2019, missed the historic second-leg comeback at Anfield through injury but he returned to net the crucial opening goal in the final in Madrid.

It was the 27th goal of a campaign that also saw him claim a share of the Premier League's Golden Boot alongside fellow Reds forward Sadio Mane and Arsenal ace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.



Like Salah, Mane netted 22 times in England's top flight, while he also inspired Senegal to a runners-up finish at the Africa Cup of Nations, securing him a highest-ever ranking of fifth place in Goal 50.



Ronaldo finished just ahead of Mane, in fourth, after a fine debut season at Juventus which ended with him being crowned Player of the Year in Serie A.

The veteran attacker then went on to help Portugal to win the inaugural Nations League, with the Seleccao beating Van Dijk's Netherlands in the final.



Here is the full list of 25 best players of Goal:

1. Van Dijk (Liverpool/Netherlands)

2. Messi (Barcelona/Argentina)

3. Salah (Liverpool/Egypt)

4. Ronaldo (Juventus/Portugal)

5. Mane (Liverpool/Senegal)



6. Sterling (Man City/England)

7. Alisson (Liverpool/Brazil)

8. F. De Jong (Barcelona/Netherlands)

9. Bernardo (Man City/Portugal)

10. Mbappe (PSG/France)

11. Hazard (Real Madrid/Belgium)

12. De Ligt (Juventus/Netherlands)

13. Aguero (Man City/Argentina)

14. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham/Korea)

15. Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool/England)



16. Lewandowski (Bayern/Poland)

17. Firmino (Liverpool/Brazil)

18. Sancho (Dortmund/England)

19. Griezmann (Barcelona/France)

20. Aubameyang (Arsenal/Gabon)

21. Kane (Tottenham/England)

22. Tadic (Ajax/Serbia)

23. Andy Robertson (Liverpool/Scotland)

24. Reus (Dortmund/Germany)

25. Suarez (Barcelona/Uruguay)