Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi has won the Ballon D’or award for the 16th time in his career and the first player ever to do so in the history of the award.

The Argentine was announced the winner of the award on Monday night in France after beating Portuguese and Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo and Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk to the first position

Messi has now moved one ahead of Ronaldo was five awards as well, and it is Messi’s second individual award in 2019 after winning the FIFA best earlier in the year.

Messi on Sunday scored Barcelona’s winning goal against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in a Spanish La Liga game to take Barca back to the top of the La Liga.

He was also instrumental to Barca’s run to lifting the La Liga for to the fourth time in the last five years.

Furthermore, he scored 73 goals in all competitions for the Ernesto Valverde’s team in the 2018/2019 season and has already hit the back of the net eleven times.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s defender Virgil van Dijk despite his impressive achievements last season with the team, winning the Uefa Champions League and second place in the Uefa Nations League behind Portugal, placed second.

Portugal’s captain, Cristiano Ronaldo placed distance third despite his Nations League Title with the national team and the Italian Serie A.

Liverpool’s duo of Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane completed the top five and also goalkeeper Alisson Becker won the Yachine trophy for the Best Goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, last year’s winner Luka Modric failed to make it into the top ten of the Ballon D’Or after fallen off the radar in recent times. He remains the only players apart from Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo to have won the award since 2008

Written by: Idowu Daniel Ademiju