Best Fifa Football Awards 2019 LIVE result: Lionel Messi beats Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo to men's prize
Re-live coverage of the star-studded ceremony in Milan
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Lionel Messi beat Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo to win the best Fifa player of the year award for a record sixth time on Monday.
Messi, who won the Spanish La Liga title with Barcelona last season as well as the European golden boot having scored 54 goals in 58 games in all competitions, last won the award in 2015.
He did not, however, enjoy success with the national team, losing in the Copa America semi-finals to rivals Brazil.
His win is somewhat of a surprise with Van Dijk, a centre back who transformed Liverpool’s defence on the way to the Champions League crown, having won the European best player award. Messi’s win at the La Scala Opera house in Milan also marks a return to the dominance of the Argentine and Ronaldo, who between them have won the award all but once since 2007.
US co-captain Megan Rapinoe won the women’s top award after helping her country to the World Cup title this year in a tournament considered to be a milestone in the development and expansion of women’s football internationally.
“I’m at a loss for words,” she said. “This was an incredible year for women’s football, for those who just noticed you are a bit late to the party. It truly was incredible, to be part of the World Cup, the enthusiasm we had was amazing.”
Rapinoe, a strong off-the-field activist who also refused a potential visit the White House when the US were on track to retain their world title, said players should use their success to help others.
“I ask everyone here, lend your platform to other people, share your success. We have a unique opportunity to use this game to actually change the world for better. I hope you take that to heart, do something, we have incredible power in this room.”
She beat fellow co-captain Alex Morgan and England’s Lucy Bronze.
Liverpool’s Juergen Klopp was voted men’s coach of the year while US national team coach Jill Ellis took home the best women’s coach trophy.
What time does the ceremony start in the UK?
The festivities kick off in Milan at around 6.30pm with the green carpet arrivals. The ceremony then gets underway around 7.30pm in the UK.
What TV channel is it on?
The show is being broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. Coverage begins at 7:30pm.
Can I live stream it?
Subscribers can watch the ceremony online via the Sky Go app.
Non-subscribers can also tune in with a NOW TV Day Pass which costs £7.99 a day, with a weekly version priced at £12.99.
What awards are being handed out?
The Best FIFA Men’s Player
Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) – Juventus
Lionel Messi (ARG) – FC Barcelona
Virgil van Dijk (NED) – Liverpool
The Best FIFA Women’s Player
Lucy Bronze (ENG) – Olympique Lyonnais
Alex Morgan (USA) – Orlando Pride
Megan Rapinoe (USA) – Reign FC
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach
Pep Guardiola (ESP) – Manchester City
Jurgen Klopp (GER) – Liverpool
Mauricio Pochettino (ARG) – Tottenham Hotspur
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach
Jill Ellis (USA) – USA national team
Phil Neville (ENG) – England national team
Sarina Wiegman (NED) – Netherlands national team
FIFA Fan Award
Silvia Grecco (BRA)
Netherlands Fans at the Women’s World Cup (NED)
Justo Sánchez (URU)
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper
Alisson (BRA) – Liverpool
Ederson (BRA) – Manchester City
Marc-André ter Stegen (GER) – FC Barcelona
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper
Christiane Endler (CHI) – Paris Saint-Germain
Hedvig Lindahl (SWE) – Chelsea / Wolfsburg
Sari van Veenendaal (NED) – Arsenal / Atletico Madrid
FIFA Puskás Award
Lionel Messi (ARG) – Real Betis v FC Barcelona [La Liga] (17 March 2019)
Juan Fernando Quintero (COL) – River Plate v Racing Club [Argentinian Superliga] (10 February 2019)
Dániel Zsóri (HUN) – Debrecen FC v Ferencváros TC [Nemzeti Bajnoskag I] (16 February 2019)
Who’s going to win?
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk is heavy favourite to win the men’s prize after his Champions League heroics while Megan Rapinoe is tipped to take home the women’s award after an influential Women’s World Cup on and off the pitch.
Follow live coverage of the 2019 Best Fifa Football Awards tonight.
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi are up for the top prize in the men's game while England's Lucy Bronze goes up against the USA's World Cup winners Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe for the women's award. Premier League trio Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino are the nominees for the men's coach of the year in what should be an exciting and star-studded evening.
We'll have all the latest updates from Milan throughout the evening.
Who do you think will take home the prize of Best Men's Player?
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is favourite, and would be the first Premier League player to win the award since 2008.
The winner that year? Cristiano Ronaldo - then of Manchester United - who is up for the award again tonight, representing Juventus.
Real Madrid's Luka Modric was crowned Best Men's Player last year, while Brazil's Marta won the Best Women's Player trophy.
A Premier League manager is guaranteed to win the Best Men's Coach award, with the nominees being Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp and Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino.
Guardiola led City to a historic domestic treble last season, Klopp guided the Reds to their first Champions League crown in 14 years and Pochettino's Spurs were runners-up to Liverpool in that European final.
As for Best Men's Goalkeeper... It's not guaranteed that a Premier League keeper will win, but Liverpool's Alisson and Man City's Ederson have Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen outnumbered.
Who do you think deserves the prize?
Let's also take a look at last year's Men's World XI:
Goalkeeper: David de Gea (Man United)
Defence: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Dani Alves (PSG)
Midfield: Eden Hazard (Chelsea), N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Attack: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Juventus)
Our writers picked their World XI for this year, and you can check it out here.
Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan - co-captains of this year's Women's World Cup-winning USA team - are up against one another tonight as they await the result of Best Women's Player.
England's Lucy Bronze is the underdog in the category. Could she be a surprise winner?
A real fan favourite each year is the Puskas Award for best goal.
Mohamed Salah and Olivier Giroud were the last two winners, while this year's nominees are:
Lionel Messi for his impeccably precise chipped goal against Real Betis in March; Juan Fernando Quintero of River Plate for his ridiculous long-range free-kick against Racing Club in February; and 18-year-old Daniel Zsori for his injury-time overhead kick winner on his pro debut in Hungary this February.
Check them out above and make your own mind up as to which should win - they're all stunners.
Speaking of fan favourites, there's also the Fan Award!
The nominees are...
Silvia Grecco from Brazil; Uruguay's Justo Sanchez; and Netherlands fans at the Women’s World Cup earlier this year.
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