"Losing to Lionel Messi is not the worst of things" - When Virgil van Dijk commented on missing out on Ballon d'Or
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk shared his thoughts about losing the 2019 Ballon d'Or to Argentina talisman Lionel Messi in a candid interview with France Football earlier this year in January. The Dutchman came agonizingly close to becoming the first defender since 2006 to win the prestigious trophy after Italiy's Fabio Cannavaro was adjudged to be the best player of the year after leading his country to the World Cup.
Five years after coming so close, Van Dijk finally shared his feelings over the results. The 33-year-old had helped Liverpool win the Champions League that season while Lionel Messi led Argentina to the Copa America to fight it out for one of the closest Ballon d'Or battles of all time.
“A second place is already very special. Very few players have been close to winning it or have scored as many points (679) in the Ballon d’Or standings“, Van Dijk said.
He also highlighted that a second-place finish acted as a boost for him and pushed him even further.
"I found myself between two of the five greatest players of all time (he shared the podium with Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo). To stand there as a defender was already a great source of pride. If I deserved it, I would have won it," he said
Having had five years to reflect on it, Virgil took a humble approach to the result.
"Everything happens for a reason and, frankly, losing to Lionel Messi is not the worst of things. I would have loved to win it, but to get this recognition from the rest of the world is still a great source of pride,” he concluded.
How the Ballon d'Or race between Lionel Messi and Virgil van Dijk panned out
Van Dijk is considered one of the greatest defenders to play the game and commanded a then-world record transfer fee in 2018 when Liverpool paid Southampton £75 million for his services. The record was broken by Manchester United a few months later when they paid Leicester City £80 million for Harry Maguire.
The Ballon d'Or second-place finish vindicated Liverpool's decision to splash out on the defender as he took no time to establish himself as the best in the game.
Messi, who was then representing Barcelona, edged out the Dutchman by just seven points. The 2019 trophy was the diminutive Argentinian's sixth Ballon d'Or, breaking the tie with Cristiano Ronaldo.
He has since gone on to claim the trophy two more times - 2021 and 2023 - to take a healthy lead over the Portuguese.