The battle to win the 2019 Ballon d’Or is an intriguing one.

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk is the current favourite to win the award after his stellar season ended in Champions League glory.

But it’s impossible to discount Lionel Messi.

The Barcelona star was at his imperious best in 2018-19, scoring 51 goals in all competitions.

He led the Blaugrana to La Liga glory, but his achievements were hampered somewhat by Barcelona’s failure to add the Champions League and Copa del Rey to their season honours.

As a result of that, and Messi’s failure to win the Copa America with Argentina, many believes Van Dijk, or another player, deserves to win the Ballon d’Or.

But many of the best players in the world believe that the Argentinian deserves the award when it’s announced later on this year.

A Messi fan on Twitter has compiled a video in which Van Dijk, Kylian Mbappe, Sadio Mane, Rivaldo, Jamie Carragher, Sergio Aguero, Filipe Luis, Cesc Fabregas and Michel Platini all say Messi should win the Ballon d’Or.

Messi is seeking a sixth crown and his first since 2015.

The 32-year-old’s fifth-placed finish at the 2018 award was a ridiculous outcome and he’s made that verdict look even more baffling with his performances this year.

You won’t have to talk to too many football fans before finding one who considers the forward the greatest player of all-time.

Commentator Ray Hudson once remarked about Messi during a game: “They tell me that all men are equal in the eyes of God, but this man seriously makes you think about those words.”

Messi will become the first player to win six Ballon d’Ors should he prevail.

And you have to wonder how many he would actually have if the award was handed to the best player in the world, regardless of trophies won in the calendar year.