TIL Desk Sports/ Juventus” Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona”s Argentine talisman Lionel Messi and Liverpool”s Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk made the short list for the Best FIFA Men”s Player award, the international soccer federation announced on Monday. The announcement came days after the Dutchman prevailed over Messi and Ronaldo to win the UEFA Men”s Player of the Year award for 2018-19.
Van Dijk succeeded Real Madrid”s Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, who last year pipped Ronaldo, with whom he had helped the Spanish club earn its 13th UEFA Champions League title, and Egyptian Mohamed Salah, who led Liverpool to the final of the elite continental club competition.
The short list for the Best FIFA Women”s Player featured Olympique Lyonnais” Briton Lucy Bronze — who clinched the UEFA award a few days ago — and Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, who were part of the US national team which won the FIFA World Cup held this year in France.
