It is a two-horse race for the Ballon d’or as Lionel Messi and Virgil van Dijk fight it out for the biggest individual prize in football, but there is some discrepancy between bookmakers.
William Hill make the Liverpool centre-back 8/11 (1.73) favourite to become the first defender since Fabio Cannavaro to win the prize after a successful season with the Reds.
The Dutchman helped Jurgen Klopp’s men to a second-place in the Premier League, securing 97 points along the way, and then lifted the Champions League trophy in June after a 2-0 win over Tottenham in Madrid.
He has inarguably justified the world record £75 million transfer fee Liverpool paid for him in January 2018 and, having led his country to the Nations League, van Dijk could be set to add the Ballon d’Or to his CV - at least according to William Hill.
888Sport, though, are less convinced. The online bookmaker offer Even Money (2.00) on van Dijk scooping the award and 3/4 (1.75) on Messi beating him to the punch.
The Argentine has already won the coveted prize five times and a sixth this year would break the tie with eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo. It was another impressive season for Barcelona as Messi led them to the La Liga title and was top scorer in the Champions League.
Indeed, his total of 51 goals eclipsed the 45 he scored the campaign before and 12 strikes in European competition is the most he has scored in the tournament in seven years.
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However, Barca lost to Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Champions after a 4-0 defeat at Anfield saw their 3-0 lead from the first leg vanquished and dreams of continental glory wiped.
Messi is 6/5 (2.20) with William Hill, a price which could have been cut had he not struggled at this summer’s Copa America as Argentina crashed out to hosts Brazil in the semi-finals.
The talismanic forward has managed only one goal during the Copa America with a third-place play-off still to go, meaning he will have to wait at least another year for international glory.
888Sport
