Class on and off the field, Virgil van Dijk shared a post on his Instagram account thanking everyone for the warm reception he received during the Ballon d’Or ceremony while hailing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as two of the greatest players of all time. The Liverpool defender also congratulated Argentina forward Leo Messi on winning a record-sixth Golden Ball and becoming the most decorated individual in footballing history. The Dutch center-back finished second in this year’s Ballon d'Or, seven points behind the Barcelona forward. Van Dijk’s comments about Ronaldo early during the Ballon d’Or ceremony got many fans angry but the defender also praised the Portuguese star stating him as one of the great’s of the game. Ballon d’Or 2019 Awards: Lionel Messi Pips Virgil Van Dijk by Just 7 Votes to Win Sixth Golden Ball, Check Full Results.

It was a privilege to attend the 2019 Ballon d’Or, the defender captioned his post. The Dutch center-back continued by saying that he was humbled by the reception he got and was thankful for it. He later praised Lionel Messi for winning his sixth Ballon d’Or and said that he had enjoyed their battles this season and is looking for more in the coming years. The Liverpool center-back also expressed gratitude towards his team-mates from Liverpool and the Dutch National team. The Liverpool player then reflected the journey he has been in the past year and hopes that it can inspire others to believe in themselves and not give up on their dreams. Virgil van Dijk Takes a Jibe at Cristiano Ronaldo at Ballon d’Or 2019 Awards, CR7’s Sister Katia Aveiro Reminds Liverpool Star of Champions League 2018!

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It was a great privilege to attend the 2019 Ballon d’Or last night 🏆 I was humbled by the warm reception that I received in Paris and I’d like to say thank you to everyone who made us feel so welcome. Firstly I’d like to congratulate @leomessi on winning your historic sixth Ballon d’Or 🏅 As I also said last night at the ceremony, it’s important to sit back and admire greatness when it’s in front of you. Congratulations on another incredible year. On a personal level it was an honour to be nominated and I am extremely proud to have come second and in the same company as two of the greatest players to ever play the game in @leomessi and @cristiano We’ve enjoyed some good battles this year and I hope there will be many more to come. I am proud of my journey and I hope that my route in the game can help inspire others to always believe in yourself and to never give up on your dreams. I am hungry for more success on the pitch and will be working as hard as I can to keep improving and to continue to strive to be the best that I can be. It’s been an incredible 2019 so far but none of this would be possible without the love and support of my family, thank you for always being there. I must also say a huge thank you again to all of my teammates at Liverpool and the national team. Finally thank you to everyone in the football world for all of your messages of support, it means a lot to me and my family ❤

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This was an incredible year for Van Dijk as he played a vital part in Liverpool becoming European champions and was also instrumental in Netherlands reaching the Nations League Finals. He was awarded the UEFA player of the year award for his fantastic performances throughout the year. Virgil’s club team-mate's Sadio Mane, Mohammad Salah and Alisson Becker also got a spot in the top 10 of Ballon d’Or rankings finishing fourth, fifth and seventh respectively.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 04, 2019 09:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).