Lionel Messi wins Ballon d’Or for sixth time

Barcelona’s
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi received the 2019 Ballon d’Or award on Dec. 2
for the sixth time.

Messi was
given the coveted award during a ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris,
defeating Juventus’ Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool’s
Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk.

He has now surpassed Ronaldo to become the all-time winner of the award.

Messi, 32,
received the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015, adding one more Ballon
d’Or for the Best FIFA Men’s award in 2019.

Liverpool’s
Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker received the Yachine Trophy for the best
men’s goalkeeper in world football.

Becker, 27,
played a key role in Liverpool’s Champions League victory during their 2-0 win
against Tottenham in the final last season.

Each year,
France Football magazine awards its Ballon d’Or trophy to the world’s best
football player.

The Ballon
d’Or was organized by FIFA and France Football until 2015. They split, and FIFA
set up its own awards, which have been held since 2016.