Best FIFA Football Awards 2019: Lionel Messi, Megan Rapinoe win top prize

Argentine 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, last won the award in 2015.

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.

U.S. co-captain Megan Rapinoe won the women’s top award after helping her country to the World Cup title this year.

She beat fellow co-captain Alex Morgan and England’s Lucy Bronze.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson won the best goalkeeper ahead of Manchester City’s Ederson and Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp was named men’s coach of the year.

Klopp was nominated for the award along with two other Premier League bosses – Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino.

The Best Fifa Football Awards 2019 winners in full:

Best Fifa Women’s Player

Lucy Bronze Alex Morgan Megan Rapinoe – **WINNER!**Best Fifa Women’s Player

Lucy Bronze Alex Morgan Megan Rapinoe – **WINNER!**Best Fifa Men’s Coach

Pep Guardiola Jurgen Klopp – WINNER! Mauricio Pochettino Best Fifa Women’s Coach Jill Ellis – WINNER! Phil Neville Sarina Wiegman Fifa Puskas Award

Lionel Messi Juan Fernando Quintero Daniel Zsori – **WINNER!**Best Fifa Men’s Goalkeeper

Alisson Becker – WINNER! Ederson Marc-Andre ter Stegen Best Fifa Women’s Goalkeeper

Christiane Endler Hedwig Lindahl Sari van Veenendaal – **WINNER!**Fifa Fan Award

Silvia Grecco – WINNER! Justo Sanchez Netherlands fans FIFPro Men’s World XI

Alisson Becker (BRA) – Liverpool Matthijs de Ligt (NED) – Ajax / Juventus Sergio Ramos (ESP) – Real Madrid Virgil van Dijk (NED) – Liverpool Marcelo (BRA) – Real Madrid Luka Modric (CRO) – Real Madrid Frenkie de Jong (NED) – Ajax/Barcelona Eden Hazard (BEL) – Chelsea/ Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) – Juventus Kylian Mbappe (FRA) – Paris Saint-Germain Lionel Messi (ARG) – Barcelona FIFPro Women’s World XI

Sari van Veenendaal (NED) – Arsenal / Atletico Madrid Lucy Bronze (ENG) – Olympique Lyonnais Wendie Renard (FRA) – Olympique Lyonnais Nilla Fischer (SWE) – VfL Wolfsburg / Linkopings Kelley O’Hara (USA) – Utah Royals Amandine Henry (FRA) – Olympique Lyonnais Julie Ertz (USA) – Chicago Red Stars Rose Lavelle (USA) – Washington Spirit Megan Rapinoe (USA) – Reign FC Marta (BRA) – Orlando Pride Alex Morgan (USA) – Orlando Pride