Lionel Messi scoops FIFA’s The Best award

Barcelona star Lionel Messi won the best men's player at FIFA’s The Best Football Awards in Milan on Monday evening.

The Argentine fought off competition from Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk to claim the top prize.

It is the sixth time – but the first in four years – Messi has been voted as the best player in the world after lifting the gong in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.

Now aged 32, Messi helped Barca to their second successive La Liga title earlier this year but could not help them to either the Copa del Rey or Champions League crowns.

The Blaugrana were eliminated from the Champions League semi-finals by Liverpool while they also lost the Copa del Rey showpiece at the hands of Valencia.

Messi’s Barca teammate Marc-Andre Ter Stegen missed out on Best Goalkeeper to Liverpool’s Alisson Becker, while Messi joined new teammate Frenkie de Jong in the XI of the Year.

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