This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has been named the best player in the world, following an impressive 2018-19 season. The 32-year-old scored 54 goals in 58 appearances in all competitions, beating Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo to the prestigious prize.
Although Messi is yet to score for Barcelona this campaign, due to a calf injury he's been battling since the completion of the 2019 Copa America championship in Brazil, data shows he still has an edge over his arch-rival Ronaldo.
According to CIES Football, Messi outperforms Ronaldo in every department, including shooting, take on, chance creation, and distribution. In a recent study, Messi scored 99% in shooting, take on, and chance creation, while Ronaldo polled 83% in shooting, his best stat.
Meanwhile, the Barcelona captain voted for Sadio Mane as his top choice for FIFA's best player, with Ronaldo second and team-mate Frenkie de Jong his third pick. However, Ronaldo didn't reciprocate the love, voting for Juventus' Matthijs De Ligt first, followed by De Jong second and Kylian Mbappe third.
