Lionel Messi said it is a "shame" that Liverpool forward Sadio Mane finished fourth in the race for this year's Ballon d'Or award.
The Barcelona legend won the top prize for a record sixth time in Paris on Tuesday, beating Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk and Juventus forward - and long-time rival - Cristiano Ronaldo to the Golden Ball.
Mane finished fourth in the race for football's coveted prize, and Messi reckons the Senegal international deserved more recognition for what he achieved last season.
"It's a shame to see Mane finish in fourth place," Messi told Canal+. "But I think there have been a lot of great players this year.
"That's why it was difficult to choose a particular player. But I chose Sadio Mane because he's a player that I like.
"Mane achieved a great year that was exceptional for the entire Liverpool team.
"That's why I chose him. I repeat, there were a lot of very great players this year, so the choice was difficult."
Mane helped Liverpool win the Champions League last season, with the Reds beating Tottenham in the final in Madrid.
Mane was also the Premier League's joint Golden Boot winner as Liverpool finished second to champions Manchester City on the final day of the campaign.
This season the 27-year-old has continued to push on and has been Liverpool's stand-out player in attack. He has netted nine times in the Premier League - three more than his talented strike partner Mohamed Salah.
