Despite finishing fourth in the race for the 2019 Ballon d'Or title, Sadio Mane was a notable absentee at the awards ceremony on Monday, and the Liverpool star has since explained why he did not attend the event.
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On Monday, Lionel Messi was crowned the winner of the 2019 Ballon d'Or award after beating off competition from the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mane, although the latter pair were absent from the ceremony.
Despite being one of the major contenders for the prize, the Senegal star was a notable absentee in Paris, with some reports suggesting that he had boycotted the event due to a frustration with the voting system.
Those reports have been dismissed as false, however, after hosts France Football released a video in which Mane apologised for his absence and explained that it was due to his commitments with club Liverpool, who play Merseyside rivals Everton on Wednesday.
Mane was one of seven Reds stars who were nominated for the award, although only runner-up van Dijk and Yachine Trophy winner Alisson Becker were present at the ceremony, with the other players remaining in England in order to focus on match preparations.
Click through the gallery below for a selection of images from the 2019 Ballon d'Or ceremony:
The 27-year-old's strike partner Mohamed Salah ranked fifth, while countryman Kalidou Koulibaly placed 24th in the Ballon d'Or rankings.
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