The Best FIFA Men's Player 2019: Who did India vote for?

The voting process includes the national team captain, coach and a reputed media personality who pre-select their own top three players.

Lionel Messi was honoured with the The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2019 award on a glittering night in Milan at The Best FIFA Football Awards, finishing ahead of Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo. The FC Barcelona star had a sensational season as far as individual contributions are considered. His mind-numbing 54 goals and 20 assists in 58 matches during the 2018-19 campaign made the five-time Ballon D’or favorite for the top prize.

The voting process for the award involves each FIFA representative nation’s senior national team captain, head coach and the country’s reputed journalist who pre-select three players of their choice. The first choice is awarded five points, while the second and third choice receive three and one point respectively.

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India’s national team captain, Sunil Chhetri voted for the current UEFA Men’s Player of the Year, Virgil van Dijk as his first choice, followed by Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah. Interestingly, the skipper is a Barca fan, but last year as well, had chosen the eventual winner Luka Modric, Kylian Mbappe, and Kevin De Bruyne.

India’s new tactician at the helm, Igor Stimac voted for Portuguese captain Ronaldo as his first choice, followed by Virgil van Dijk and Eden Hazard of Real Madrid. It was Stephen Contastine who voted last year and chose Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane and Kevin De Bruyne.

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Dhiman Sarkar, a reputed sports journalist from Hindustan Times, voted for Virgil van Dijk, followed by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in second and third position respectively. His last year’s selections included Raphael Varane, Modric and De Bruyne.

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On the coach's front, Chhetri and Stimac picked the winner Jurgen Klopp as their first vote with the Indian captain voted for Erik Ten Hag and Pep Guardiola in his second and third pick respectively while Stimac had Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola as his picks.

Ironically, Dhiman voted for Pep Guardiola followed by Klopp and Pochettino.

Interestingly, Messi himself voted for Sadio Mane, Ronaldo and Frenkie de Jong as his top three candidates for the award. Ronaldo voted for club teammate Matthijs de Ligt, followed by Frenkie De Jong and Mbappe. Van Dijk chose Messi as his first choice, ahead of his club mates in Salah and Mane in second and third position respectively.