Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Virgil Van Dijk squared off. The Liverpool defender won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year honor, but he did not win the prestigious FIFA World Player of the Year accolade. Barcelona captain Lionel Messi won this prize by defeating that duo, who were also in contention. The Argentine forward scored a record-breaking number of goals in one season to claim his fifth trophy. Messi finished with 28 goals in all competitions, including six in the Club World Cup. He helped Barcelona retain the Spanish title after scoring a goal in each of their last five games. The club also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the second year running. Ronaldo continued his superb form with Madrid by helping them win their third consecutive La Liga title. The Portuguese forward scored 26 goals this season as he attempted to follow in the footsteps of Diego Maradona who is the only player to score in every match of the Mundialito tournament. However, Madrid were defeated by Juventus in the final of the latter's tournament. Van Dijk has been outstanding for Liverpool this season. The Dutch defender was part of the team that won the Club World Cup last month. He also helped his side achieve fourth place in the Premier League.