Lionel Messi will win the 2019 Ballon d'Or award on Monday night if reports regarding leaked information are to be believed, but his "number one fan" has now claimed he does not deserve the Golden Ball this year.
Click through the mini-gallery above to see all of Messi's Ballon d'Or trophies.
The FC Barcelona captain will reportedly pick up his sixth Ballon d'Or in Paris at the France Football gala tonight, beating competition from the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi would become the first player in history to win the award a sixth time, but former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, who is now head coach of Scottish giants Rangers, believes Van Dijk deserves it more this year.
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"I'm Messi's number one fan, for sure. I love the player," he told William Hill, as cited by Marca.
"Obscene numbers in his game in terms of assists and goals.
"But if you talk about consistency from one player over a year, who wins the European Cup and is absolutely faultless in every performance, that means you (Van Dijk) deserve to win the Ballon d'Or."
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The Ballon d'Or gala will take place in Paris tonight, and Soccer Laduma will update you as the events unfold.
Who do you think deserves this year's Ballon d'Or? Have your say in the comments section below.
