Lionel Messi was crowned the winner of the 2019 Ballon d’Or, claiming the coveted prize for the sixth time in his career.
The Barcelona superstar, widely considered the greatest player of all time, pipped Van Dijk to the award at a ceremony in Paris.
The Netherlands captain was asked on the red carpet what he made of Ronaldo’s absence from the event, and he replied by questioning whether the Portuguese was truly in the race to win.
When asked what it would be like having one of his rivals not show up, the 28-year-old responded: “Was he a rival then?”