Ruud Gullit: Virgil van Dijk may never win Ballon d’Or

In an interview with Joe, Netherlands legend Ruud Gullit admitted that he believes Liverpool superstar Virgil van Dijk will ‘never’ win the Ballon d’Or in the future.

Van Dijk was considered as one of the favourites for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award last year but the Liverpool centre-back was ultimately overlooked and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi was handed the honour for the sixth time in his career.

Van Dijk’s performances in 2019 were phenomenal, the Dutchman was solid in the Premier League and helped the Reds win the Champions League with some masterful defensive displays.

“The message of the Ballon d’Or was, he’s never going to win it again,”

“Yeah, I think he should (have won it). But, you know, you can’t say Messi didn’t deserve it either.”

“But if there was a possibility to make a stand for a defender, it was this year.”

If Van Dijk was to have been crowned the winner, he would’ve become the first defender since Italy legend Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 to pick up the prestigious honour.

read also: Virgil van Dijk wins Football Supporters’ Player award

The Liverpool star would’ve joined the select group of Gullit, Cannavaro, Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer as the only defenders in history to be crowned as the world’s best.