DBasia.news – UEFA has released three main candidates for the 2019 Best European Player of the Year award. The three players are Cristiano Ronaldo, Virgil van Dijk and Lionel Messi.
The announcement of the 2019 Best European Footballer of the Year will be announced on August 29, 2019 in Monaco. Messi, Ronaldo, and Van Dijk, became the top three candidates because of their superior position and voting points above other candidates.
Below the three are: Alisson Bekker (57 points), Sadio Mane (51 points), Mohamed Salah (49 points), Eden Hazard (38 points), Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong (27 points), and Rahem Sterling (12 points) points).
Messi, Barcelona’s superstar, was the Champions League’s top scorer last season and won the European Golden Shoe award. While Ronaldo, who moved from Real Madrid to Juventus last year, helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League title and become the top scorer.
Van Dijk, the Liverpool defender, was chosen as Man of the Match Champions League final match against Tottenham Hotspur. Van Dijk contributed greatly in bringing the Reds to become the Champions League winner for the sixth time.
Last year, Luka Modric, the Madrid midfielder, won the European Footballer of the Year award and defeated Ronaldo and Mo Salah. Messi at that time was in fifth place and Van Dijk was not in the top 10.
The category that will receive the award at Monaco will not only be the Best European Footballer of the Year, there is also the Best European Women’s Player of the Year which will be contested by three candidates: Lucy Bronze, Ada Hegerberg, and Amandine Henry.
The following are awards in other categories at the European Footballer 2019 event plus the winning candidates:
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker, Hugo Lloris, Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Best defender: Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Matthijs de Ligt
Best Midfielder: Jordan Henderson, Frenkie de Jong, Christian Eriksen
Best striker: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane