January 15 – Liverpool players dominate a fan vote on UEFA.com for the website’s team of the year 2019. While the club are the new face of European football dominance, two old faces, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, both made the final XI.
It is a vote that saw Sadio Mane come ahead for the second time in a week (he has just been voted Africa’s player of the year) of his teammate Mo Salah. Mane was joined on the list by club colleagues Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson.
Fans also voted Man City’s Kevin de Bruyne into their best XI.
Ronaldo and Messi were the only players who played the bulk of the year in Serie A and LaLiga in the list. However, two Ajax players who have since moved to those leagues and their clubs – Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax to Juventus) and Frenkie de Jong (Ajax to FC Barcelona) – did make the XI.
Veteran Bayern and Poland forward Robert Lewandowski was the only Bundesliga representative. No player currently active in France was included.
Fans have voted Ronaldo into the Best XI a record 14 times. Messi has made it 11 times.
UEFA.com Fans’ Team of the Year 2019:
- Alisson (Liverpool FC & Brazil)
- Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool FC & England)
- Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool FC & Netherlands)
- Matthijs de Ligt (AFC Ajax/Juventus & Netherlands)
- Andy Robertson (Liverpool FC & Scotland)
- Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City FC & Belgium)
- Frenkie de Jong (AFC Ajax/FC Barcelona & Netherlands)
- Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona & Argentina)
- Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München & Poland)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus & Portugal)
- Sadio Mané (Liverpool FC & Senegal)
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