🏆 Why Sadio Mané should win the Ballon d'Or 🇸🇳 | OneFootball

It’s been widely reported that Monday’s Ballon d’Or gala is between two candidates – Lionel Messi and Virgil van Dijk.

Now we’re not here to argue that those two aren’t deserving names on a packed shortlist, but if there’s one Liverpool player who can stand alongside Van Dijk as the outstanding one in 2019, it’s Sadio Mané.

If 2018 was all about Mohamed Salah, then these past 12 months have truly belonged to the Senegal international – going from impressive if inconsistent wide man to the vital cog in Jürgen Klopp’s attacking arsenal.

Twenty two Premier League goals since the turn of the year, including vital finishes against Chelsea, Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Southampton.

All of those from open play – that’s the most of any Liverpool player in the calendar month – and a major reason why they challenged Manchester City until the last and are leading the table this time around.

Then there were the five crucial European goals, including a stunning brace against Champions League heavyweights Bayern Munich.

But it’s not just the goals that have turned Mané into the best player on the planet this year, it’s, simply, his all-round game too.

The precision of his runs, the clarity of his decision-making and the purpose with which he beats defenders is a sight to behold.

Kieran Trippier vocalised it perfectly in a recent interview with The Athletic, saying: “You play against Sadio Mané, for instance, and if you take your eye off him for a second, he’ll just dart in behind you.”

Sure, there are more technically gifted players plying their trade right now, but take a straw poll of defenders anywhere in Europe and the one man they would have hated facing more than any other in 2019 was Mané.

“2019 has been his year,” said Andy Robertson. And it’s hard to disagree with that.