Lionel Messi has been in the news since the time he won the Ballon d’Or 2019 for his prolific season. His arch-rival, Cristiano Ronaldo has comparatively had a quieter season but surely the Barcelona star has been rated as the Best Player in the World by Algorithm. Meanwhile, his contemporary, Cristiano Ronaldo fails to make it to Top 20 list. He sits on number 25 with 332 points. Messi dominates the table with 401 points in his kitty. Ballon d’Or 2019 Awards: Lionel Messi Pips Virgil Van Dijk by Just 7 Votes to Win Sixth Golden Ball, Check Full Results.

Ajax star Hakim Ziyech features on the second with a total of 377 points. Whereas, PSG’s Kylian Mbappe is third in the rankings with a score of 366. Recently the Barcelona star pipped Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or 2019 for the sixth time in his career. Back then, Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk stood second in the number of votes for Ballon d’Or whereas, the former Manchester United striker stood third. CR7 has endured his worst goal scoring start to a season in over ten years this time around, bagging just eight goals for Juventus during a troubled spell.

After Messi winning the Ballon d’Or 2019, CR7 was asked if the rivalry between the two has come to an end. The Juventus star in his typical style said, “It has just begun.” The website notes that this computer algorithm “considers the player’s contribution to the team’s success, the significance of their actions, opponent’s level and the level of the championship they play in.”

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2019 02:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).