Best FIFA Football Awards: Virgil van Dijk, Eden Hazard and Cristiano Ronaldo Make the Best XI

The FIFA Best XI has been named at Monday’s annual FIFA awards ceremony, and there isn’t too much in the way of surprises on the list, as Virgil van Dijk, Eden Hazard, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo all make the cut. 

The ceremony took place on Monday, and saw a multitude of illustrious awards handed out over the course of the star-studded evening.

One of the most heavily anticipated, however, was the best XI, as players voted a 55-player shortlist down to the best XI of 2019. 

Surprisingly only two Liverpool players have made the grade, with Van Dijk joining Brazilian stopper Alisson as the only representatives from the European champions.

Sergio Ramos and Marcelo make up half of the back four despite Real Madrid’s dismal 2018/19 season, while Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt – an Eredivisie winner and ??Champions League semi-finalist – rounds out the four defenders. 

In midfield, De Ligt’s former teammate Frenkie de Jong joins Eden Hazard and Luka Modric in a Galactico-dominated XI.

Up front, Lionel Messi earns his place after a season that saw him score 51 goals in 50 appearances, and he leads the line alongside PSG starlet Kylian Mbappe, who continues to develop into one of the world’s best forwards, and Juventus ace Cristiano Ronaldo.

Interestingly no Manchester City players make the cut despite their unprecedented domestic treble, while Liverpool’s front three of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane may feel hard-done-by not to make the grade. 

Still, the places were voted for by the players themselves – so who are we to argue?

Let’