Virgil van Dijk's interview after Lionel Messi won 2019 Ballon d'Or was sheer class

Virgil van Dijk showed just how difficult it is for a defender to win the Ballon d’Or award in 2019.

The Liverpool centre-back finished second to Lionel Messi in the running for the individual honour.

Van Dijk was monstrously good in 2019, leading the Reds to Champions League glory, but missed out after collecting seven fewer points than Messi.

“The message of the Ballon d’Or was, he’s never going to win it again,” Van Dijk’s compatriot Ruud Gullit said about the vote, per JOE.

Of course, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have made it very difficult for any other player to win it for the past 15 years.

Once their reign is over, who knows, perhaps we’ll see the first defender since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 on the throne.

To his enormous credit, Van Dijk wasn’t bitter about finishing second.

The Liverpool star delivered a fantastic interview after the result was announced, praising Messi and Ronaldo while also acknowledging his own fine journey.

“Unfortunately there are a couple of players like him (Messi) that are a bit unnatural,” Van Dijk said. “I think they are fantastic.

“Look, six times the Ballon d’Or, you need to respect greatness as well. I was close but there was just someone a little bit better.

“I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved last year with Liverpool, with Holland, and hopefully we can do that again this year.

“But you know it’s going to be tough as long as these guys are around still.”

"I'm very proud of what I've achieved last year and hopefully we can do that again this year."@VirgilvDijk on a memorable 2019, after finishing second in the #BallonDor