Some people will always try to find reasons why Lionel Messi should not win the Ballon d’Or.

“He didn’t win the Champions League,” they might say. “He couldn’t score at Anfield.” Or: “[Virgil] van Dijk deserves it this year.”

Van Dijk was phenomenal for Liverpool on the Reds’ run to the Champions League crown last season, which included that epic 4-0 win over Barcelona.

But the Dutchman was not better in the tie than Messi, nor over the season. The Ballon d’Or is an individual award and the best individual, in a team sport, is Leo.

Champions League winner’s medal hung around his neck in Madrid, Van Dijk was asked if he thought he would win the Ballon d’Or.

“Messi is still the best player in the world,” he said. “He deserves it as long as he plays. It doesn’t matter if he was in the Champions League final or not.”

Louder, Virgil, for those at the back. It doesn’t matter if he was in the Champions League final or not.

No player can do everything. That night at Anfield was 11 versus 11 and Messi did more than most to help his team. Others let him down.

In the first leg, conveniently forgotten by many, Messi scored twice, including one of the finest free-kicks ever seen. And that despite Van Dijk’s presence at Camp Nou.

The Argentine struck 12 goals in 10 Champions League games last season and Barcelona only lost one of those. That is the nature of knockout football and Liverpool, despite defeats to Napoli, Red Star Belgrade, Paris Saint-Germain and Barca, went on to win the trophy.

Messi scored 51 goals in 50 appearances overall and apart from another European Golden Boot, he only has LaLiga to show for it as Barca also lost the Copa del Rey final to Valencia.

But it was thanks to him that Barca were in contention for three trophies right until the end. This is the most complete version of the world’s most complete footballer and people hold him to higher standards than with anyone else.

Ballon d’Or ceremony 2019 | 02/12/2019 37 show all Ballon d’Or ceremony 2019 | 02/12/2019 1/37 Lionel Messi wins the Ballon d'Or. REUTERS 2/37 Lionel Messi wins the Ballon d'Or. AP 3/37 Lionel Messi wins his sixth Ballon d'Or. AP 4/37 Megan Rapinoe wins Ballon d'Or Feminin. REUTERS 5/37 Kylian Mbappe with a thumbs up. AFP via Getty Images 6/37 Megan Rapinoe wins Ballon d'Or Feminin. AP 7/37 President of the Professional Football League (LFP) Nathalie Boy de la Tour. AFP via Getty Images 8/37 Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. AP 9/37 Matthijs de Ligt wins the Kopa trophy. AP 10/37 Didier Drogba and Sandy Heribert. AP 11/37 Dzsenifer Marozsan, Sarah Bouhaddi, Lucy Bronze and Ada Hegerberg. AFP via Getty Images 12/37 Didier Drogba. AP 13/37 Antoine Griezmann greets Ada Hegerber. AFP via Getty Images 14/37 Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. AFP via Getty Images 15/37 Alisson Becker. AP 16/37 Kylian Mbappe greets Ada Hegerber. AFP via Getty Images 17/37 Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric. AP 18/37 Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior. AP 19/37 Juventus vice-chairman Pavel Nedved. AFP via Getty Images 20/37 PSG forward Kylian Mbappe. AP 21/37 PSG forward Kylian Mbappe. AP 22/37 Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt and girlfriend Annekee Molenaar. AFP via Getty Images 23/37 Former Ivorian forward Didier Drogba and TV host Sandy Heribert. AFP via Getty Images 24/37 Frenkie De Jong and girlfriend Mikky Kiemeney with Lionel Messi and wife Antonella Roccuzzo and sons Thiago and Mateo. AFP via Getty Images 25/37 Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann. AFP via Getty Images 26/37 Former France coach Raymond Domenech poses with his wife Estelle Denis. AP 27/37 Virgil van Dijk with wife Rike Nooitgedagt. AFP via Getty Images 28/37 Five-time winner Lionel Messi with his family. AFP via Getty Images 29/37 Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker with wife Natalia Loewe. AP 30/37 Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann. AFP via Getty Images 31/37 Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg. AFP via Getty Images 32/37 Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana. AFP via Getty Images 33/37 Israeli football agent Pini Zahavi. AFP via Getty Images 34/37 Bayern Munich's Polish forward Robert Lewandowski (R) and his wife Anna Lewandowska arrive. AFP via Getty Images 35/37 Club Deportivo Tacon Sweden's forward Sofia Jakobsson AFP via Getty Images 36/37 Club Deportivo Tacon Sweden's forward Sofia Jakobsson arrives AFP via Getty Images 37/37 Club Deportivo Tacon Sweden's forward Kosovare Asllani arrives AFP via Getty Images 1/37 Lionel Messi wins the Ballon d'Or. REUTERS 2/37 Lionel Messi wins the Ballon d'Or. AP 3/37 Lionel Messi wins his sixth Ballon d'Or. AP 4/37 Megan Rapinoe wins Ballon d'Or Feminin. REUTERS 5/37 Kylian Mbappe with a thumbs up. AFP via Getty Images 6/37 Megan Rapinoe wins Ballon d'Or Feminin. AP 7/37 President of the Professional Football League (LFP) Nathalie Boy de la Tour. AFP via Getty Images 8/37 Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. AP 9/37 Matthijs de Ligt wins the Kopa trophy. AP 10/37 Didier Drogba and Sandy Heribert. AP 11/37 Dzsenifer Marozsan, Sarah Bouhaddi, Lucy Bronze and Ada Hegerberg. AFP via Getty Images 12/37 Didier Drogba. AP 13/37 Antoine Griezmann greets Ada Hegerber. AFP via Getty Images 14/37 Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. AFP via Getty Images 15/37 Alisson Becker. AP 16/37 Kylian Mbappe greets Ada Hegerber. AFP via Getty Images 17/37 Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric. AP 18/37 Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior. AP 19/37 Juventus vice-chairman Pavel Nedved. AFP via Getty Images 20/37 PSG forward Kylian Mbappe. AP 21/37 PSG forward Kylian Mbappe. AP 22/37 Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt and girlfriend Annekee Molenaar. AFP via Getty Images 23/37 Former Ivorian forward Didier Drogba and TV host Sandy Heribert. AFP via Getty Images 24/37 Frenkie De Jong and girlfriend Mikky Kiemeney with Lionel Messi and wife Antonella Roccuzzo and sons Thiago and Mateo. AFP via Getty Images 25/37 Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann. AFP via Getty Images 26/37 Former France coach Raymond Domenech poses with his wife Estelle Denis. AP 27/37 Virgil van Dijk with wife Rike Nooitgedagt. AFP via Getty Images 28/37 Five-time winner Lionel Messi with his family. AFP via Getty Images 29/37 Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker with wife Natalia Loewe. AP 30/37 Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann. AFP via Getty Images 31/37 Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg. AFP via Getty Images 32/37 Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana. AFP via Getty Images 33/37 Israeli football agent Pini Zahavi. AFP via Getty Images 34/37 Bayern Munich's Polish forward Robert Lewandowski (R) and his wife Anna Lewandowska arrive. AFP via Getty Images 35/37 Club Deportivo Tacon Sweden's forward Sofia Jakobsson AFP via Getty Images 36/37 Club Deportivo Tacon Sweden's forward Sofia Jakobsson arrives AFP via Getty Images 37/37 Club Deportivo Tacon Sweden's forward Kosovare Asllani arrives AFP via Getty Images

He will be used to that, but it is hardly fair. Diego Maradona won a World Cup, but never a European Cup. Pele never played in Europe. Johan Cruyff did not win a World Cup. Alfredo Di Stefano neither.

No player can do everything in a team sport and in knockout competitions, there are so many factors in a team’s triumph. Including luck.

And what about Cristiano Ronaldo? “He is more decisive than Messi against the top teams in Europe”, it is often said. In reality, though, the Portuguese is simply a brilliant goalscorer who relies on an excellent team to be effective, as he did at Real Madrid. His struggles at Juventus have highlighted that.

Messi does more. The Argentine is a creator and a goalscorer all in one, doubling up to play two roles for his team. And he still scores more than anyone else.

“He has an open radar,” Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said of the forward’s knack of finding team-mates after Sunday’s 1-0 win at Atletico, which arrived thanks to yet another moment of genius from the Argentine. “He’s infallible.”

And Atleti boss Diego Simeone, asked about his late goal, simply said: “All you can do is stand and applaud.”

In Pictures | Ballon d'Or list 2019 31 show all In Pictures | Ballon d'Or list 2019 1/31 The 2019 Ballon d'Or rankings revealed AFP via Getty Images 2/31 Joint-28: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid) AP 3/31 J-28: Donny van de Beek (Ajax) Getty Images 4/31 J-28: Marquinhos (PSG) AFP/Getty Images 5/31 J-26: Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool) REUTERS 6/31 J-26: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) Getty Images 7/31 J-24: Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli) AP 8/31 J-24: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona) AP 9/31 23: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) Getty Images 10/31 22. Heung-min Son (Tottenham) Getty Images 11/31 J-20: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) REUTERS 12/31 J-20: Dusan Tadic (Ajax) AFP/Getty Images 13/31 19: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) Liverpool FC via Getty Images 14/31 18: Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona) AP 15/31 17: Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) AP 16/31 16: Sergio Aguero (Man City) Getty Images 17/31 15: Matthjis de Ligt (Juventus) AFP/Getty Images 18/31 14: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) PA 19/31 13: Eden Hazard (Real Madrid) REUTERS 20/31 12: Raheem Sterling (Man City) Getty Images 21/31 11: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) AFP/Getty Images 22/31 10. Riyad Mahrez (Man City) AFP/Getty Images 23/31 9. Bernardo Silva (Man City) REUTERS 24/31 8. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) REUTERS 25/31 7. Alisson Becker (Liverpool) REUTERS 26/31 6. Kylian Mbappe (PSG) AFP/Getty Images 27/31 5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Liverpool FC via Getty Images 28/31 4. Sadio Mane (Liverpool) AFP via Getty Images 29/31 3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) Juventus threw away a lead last time out against Atletico. AFP/Getty Images 30/31 2. Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool) AP 31/31 1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) AP 1/31 The 2019 Ballon d'Or rankings revealed AFP via Getty Images 2/31 Joint-28: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid) AP 3/31 J-28: Donny van de Beek (Ajax) Getty Images 4/31 J-28: Marquinhos (PSG) AFP/Getty Images 5/31 J-26: Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool) REUTERS 6/31 J-26: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) Getty Images 7/31 J-24: Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli) AP 8/31 J-24: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona) AP 9/31 23: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) Getty Images 10/31 22. Heung-min Son (Tottenham) Getty Images 11/31 J-20: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) REUTERS 12/31 J-20: Dusan Tadic (Ajax) AFP/Getty Images 13/31 19: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) Liverpool FC via Getty Images 14/31 18: Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona) AP 15/31 17: Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) AP 16/31 16: Sergio Aguero (Man City) Getty Images 17/31 15: Matthjis de Ligt (Juventus) AFP/Getty Images 18/31 14: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) PA 19/31 13: Eden Hazard (Real Madrid) REUTERS 20/31 12: Raheem Sterling (Man City) Getty Images 21/31 11: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) AFP/Getty Images 22/31 10. Riyad Mahrez (Man City) AFP/Getty Images 23/31 9. Bernardo Silva (Man City) REUTERS 24/31 8. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) REUTERS 25/31 7. Alisson Becker (Liverpool) REUTERS 26/31 6. Kylian Mbappe (PSG) AFP/Getty Images 27/31 5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Liverpool FC via Getty Images 28/31 4. Sadio Mane (Liverpool) AFP via Getty Images 29/31 3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) Juventus threw away a lead last time out against Atletico. AFP/Getty Images 30/31 2. Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool) AP 31/31 1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) AP

We all should. Messi has six Ballon d’Or and could quite easily have won 10 by now. He is the best there is, the best there has been and possibly the best there will ever be.

So perhaps we should find more reasons to enjoy him than cause to diminish his amazing achievements.