Lionel Messi might have been ignored for the Ballon de’ Or last year but could win the UEFA Player of the Year Award pipping Cristiano Ronaldo. At least, that’s what the leak suggests. As per the leak, the Barcelona star could walk away with the title as he stands on number one with 252 points. Whereas his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo stands on number three with 181 points. Liverpool forward Virgil van Dijk is on number two with 224 points. UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award 2019: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk Nominated for the Prestigious Award.

Not very long UEFA had previously announced that Messi, Van Dijk and Ronaldo were the three finalists in the category. The UEFA looks into the individual performances not only for the club but also for their respective countries. The jury comprises 80 coaches from different clubs, along with 55 journalists by the European Sports Media. The coached were not allowed to vote for the player from their respective club. The leaked screenshot appeared on social news aggregator site Reddit.

Check out the snapshot below:

Leaked results for UEFA Player of the Year Award (Photo Credits: Screenshot from Reddit)

Last year, Messi finished on number five as Luka Modric walked away with the honour. CR7 stood on number two. Whereas Virgil van Dijk was not even a part of the top 10. The final winner of the current season will be announced on August 29 in Monaco. As per the latest list, Sadio Mane features on number five with 51 points. Whereas, Liverpool and Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah is placed on number sic with 49 points. Only time will tell if the current is authentic.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2019 03:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).