Leo Messi has now won a record-breaking 6th Ballon D'Or of his career, which makes him the unrivalled best player in the history of the sport. Next, we review the most prominent changes in the list of finalists.
Luka Modric
The Croatian went from winning the trophy in 2018 to not being among the 30 most voted players. After taking Croatia to the World Cup final and winning a new Champions League with Real Madrid, he could not maintain his performance during a difficult 2018-19 campaign.
Neymar
The Brazilian finished twelfth in 2018 and, like Luka Modric, did not enter the top 30 list in 2019. As the PSG player spent most of last season injured, it was not a surprising exclusion.
Luis Suarez
The Uruguayan was also excluded. In 2018 he was thirteenth, but in 2019 he was not among the top 30, a clear sign that it's the beginning of the end for the attacker's career.
Gareth Bale
There was no 'Wales. Golf. Ballon D'Or' for the Real Madrid striker. Seventeenth in 2018, he didn't make the top 30 a year later.
Sergio Ramos
Spain was left without finalists in the 2019 edition. Sergio Ramos had been nineteenth in 2018, but his club's below average season saw him miss out of a spot in the list.
Edinson Cavani
Another player whose effectiveness is diminished by age. He was 22nd in 2018 and was not among the finalists in 2019. He also lost his starring role for PSG since Mauro Icardi's arrival.
Harry Kane
The English striker, who's established his place as an important player both for club and national team, was also excluded. He went from a 10th place finish last year to no place at all in 2019.
Raphaël Varane
A player who flirted with the trophy in 2018 after winning the Champions League and the World Cup and who made the finalists list in 2019. He also paid for Real Madrid's discreet campaign.
Antoine Griezmann
One of the greatest Ballon D'Or disappointments. After winning the World Cup and the Europa League in 2018, he finished third in the standings and came closer than ever to the award. In 2019, however, he dropped 15 places to eighteenth.
Sadio Mané
The Senegalese has not been rewarded until 2019 for his great performance. In 2018, although he was already one of Liverpool's stars at the time, he barely made it to 22nd. In 2019, he's been rewarded with a 4th place finish after winning the Champions League with the Reds.
Alisson Becker
The goalkeeper not only took the trophy for best goalkeeper of the year, but also went from twenty-fifth position to seventh, a rise of 18 positions.
Hugo Lloris
One of the big surprises of 2019 was Hugo Lloris' rise on the list. In 2018 he was endorsed by the World Cup title, but in 2019 his ranking and went from 29th to 23rd place. The Champions League final with Tottenham seems to have helped.