Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk believes Lionel Messi should win the 2019 Ballon d'Or, describing the Barcelona star as the "best player in the world."
The Dutch centre-back helped the Reds to a 2-0 victory over Tottenham in Saturday's Champions League final as the Merseyside club won the competition for the sixth time.
It was the latest success in an excellent season for the former Southampton defender which has seen him emerge as a potential candidate for the award.
However, the Liverpool man still feels that Barcelona striker Messi would be the worthy winner - despite beating the Argentine in the semi-finals of the European tournament.
"I think Messi is the best player in the world," Van Dijk said after Saturday's win.
"He should win the Ballon D'Or. So I'm not thinking of that.
"But if I win, I'll take it. Messi should win it though.
He is the best in the world, whether he's in the final or not."
Liverpool's Champions League triumph in Madrid capped off an excellent campaign for both the 27-year-old and the club.
Jurgen Klopp's side finished with 97 points in the Premier League and kept pace with Manchester City until the very last day of the season, only to fall just short.
Meanwhile, Van Dijk was credited as a key part of the club's success in the league and his displays saw him named PFA Player of the Year.
And the centre-back is hopeful that the Reds' European success can provide a good platform from which to challenge Pep Guardiola's side for domestic glory next year.
"We should be hungry," he added. "This season finished today with the Champions League.
"In July everyone starts at zero and we go again. We saw this season that we still have to build on it.
"We need to challenge Manchester City again because I don’t think they’re going anywhere. We are ambitious and we want these type of nights a couple of times a year."
