Lionel Messi named best footballer in Europe; Cristiano Ronaldo not even in top 10

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has been named the Europe's best footballer this year. On the other hand, Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo didn't even make it to the top 10 which has raised plenty of eyebrows around Europe.

ALSO READ | Lionel Messi gives his views on 'El Clasico', Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard and more

In a list made by the CIES Football Observatory, Europe's best players have been ranked based on their performances this year. Messi, who won the sixth Ballon d’Or award of his career on December 2, finished at the top of the charts with 413 points. At second place is Paris Saint Germain (PSG)’s Neymar Jr. with 391 points while AFC Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech surprisingly took the third place.

Although Lionel Messi has been considered the best player in the Europe this year, the two spots behind him are indeed surprising. Neymar hasn’t had his best year with Paris Saint-Germain. He has been struggling with injuries and off-court controversies. Ziyech, on the other hand, has been a great asset for Ajax. He has shown his quality every week. However, not a lot of people will name him the third-best player in Europe.

ALSO READ | Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes says the Portuguese could retire at Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo not even in top 10 of World's best footballers

As for Cristiano Ronaldo, he finds himself at the 12th place, tied with Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez. Ronaldo came third in the Ballon d’Or voting and doesn’t feature in the top 10. Mohamed Salah, who came fifth in the Ballon d'Or list, doesn't make the cut too.

It’s fair to say 2019 hasn’t been the best year for CR7, despite him winning the Serie A and UEFA Nations League. He managed to score only 21 goals in the league last season and has nine so far in this campaign.

ALSO READ | El Clasico preview: Lionel Messi and co. look to continue El Clasico winning streak

The top ten list is as follows:

Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – 413 points

Neymar (PSG) – 391 points

Hakim Ziyech (Ajax) – 367 points

Kylian Mbappe (PSG) – 364 points

Angel di Maria (PSG) – 362 points

Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City) – 361 points

Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) – 355 points

Sadio Mane (Liverpool) – 354 points

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) – 351 points

Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – 350 points

ALSO READ | Lionel Messi net worth, salary and his El Clasico record for Barcelona