Virgil van Dijk Responds After Surprising Ballon d’Or Ranking

Virgil van Dijk has spoken out for the first time since finishing 28th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, despite being Liverpool’s captain.

The Dutch defender was one of 30 players shortlisted for the prestigious award, but his chances of a strong finish were quickly dismissed during Monday’s ceremony. Although Van Dijk was never seen as a frontrunner—eventually won by PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé—his low ranking still drew criticism on social media.

Mohamed Salah, Van Dijk’s Liverpool teammate, finished in fourth place. Despite claiming the Premier League Golden Boot and playing a pivotal role in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign, he missed out on the top three. Many believe Liverpool’s Champions League round of 16 exit at the hands of PSG played a major role in that outcome.

Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister placed 22nd, while Florian Wirtz, who only recently joined Liverpool, came 29th—his nomination was largely due to his performances for Bayer Leverkusen.

Van Dijk was the first of the Liverpool players to comment publicly on the Ballon d’Or results, sharing photos from the Paris event with a caption that appeared to throw subtle shade at the organizers: “Better luck next time,” along with a laughing emoji and crossed fingers.

Liverpool’s reaction to the Ballon d’Or results:

Aside from the four nominated players, Liverpool had other representatives in the running for awards. Goalkeeper Alisson finished second in the Yashin Trophy rankings, while manager Arne Slot lost out on the Men’s Coach of the Year award to PSG’s Luis Enrique.

The club made two social media posts on Monday: the first acknowledged Salah’s fourth-place Ballon d’Or finish, and the second celebrated his impressive season with a photo series. The caption, “A season to savour for Salah,” perhaps hinted at some disappointment over his final placement.

With no Liverpool player winning the Ballon d’Or this year, the club’s wait for another winner extends to 25 years—Michael Owen last claimed the prize in 2001. Van Dijk’s second-place finish in 2019 remains the closest a Liverpool player has come since.