Ballon d'Or 2019
Ballon d'Or: Van Dijk, Salah and Mané among favourites
As the European seasons come to a close, bookmakers have been assessing the likelihood of the contenders for the annual award, with Liverpool well represented.
A record-breaking season for Liverpool, one that could incredibly still see them end it without a trophy, has positioned three of their star players in the race for the 2019 Ballon d'Or.
Salah, Mané and Van Dijk: golden trio
Jürgen Klopp's side pushed Manchester City all the way in the Premier League, ending it just a point short of Pep Guardiola's champions. The Reds' points total of 97 was the third best in Premier League history (only City's last two seasons being better) and other than a 1-0 defeat away to the eventual champions had been undefeated in the league. The Anfield faithful also got their now regular European night thrills as they saw their heroes turn around a 3-0 deficit from the semi-final first leg. A final in Madrid now awaits them with a sixth European title in sight.
As part of Klopp's squad rebuild, one he wants to be capable of competing at home and abroad, he had already ensured that goals were rarely in short supply. A run to the 2018 Champions League final saw Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané terrorise defences throughout, as they also did for most of the campaign in England. The area needing addressed was obvious, shoring up the backline.
For that, Klopp added Dutch centre-half Virgil van Dijk (and then goalkeeper Alisson Becker) and a much more solid unit was formed, with the other pieces of the jigsaw being enhanced with the additions, especially the flying wing-backs. Van Dijk won the Premier League award for Best Player of the season. The final against Tottenham adds another opportunity to impress the watching world.
Messi, Cristiano...and Mbappé
According to the bookmakers, the attacking performances of Salah and Mané, along with the defensive prowess of the former Celtic and Southampton man, have put all three men in the running for the Ballon d'Or, awarded later in the year. Barcelona's Lionel Messi ended his LaLiga season as top scorer and spent much of the year dragging his far from outstanding team to victory. The Argentine is currently favourite to pick up the individual award. Juventus' new signing, Cristiano Ronaldo may not have taken them to European glory, however, a strong first season has him in fifth place for the golden gong.
Although outside the top five, PSG's Kylian Mbappé has the chance to overtake Messi for top scorer in Europe, needing four from his final Ligue 1 match. If he was to achieve that, the young Frenchman may sneak further into contention.