The Dutchman knew he was not going to win before the ceremony.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has admitted he was disappointed he didn’t win the Ballon d'Or.
The Dutch defender was hoping he would bring the Ballon d’Or to Anfield, but he finished second to Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
“I was slightly disappointed,” said the 28-year-old - who moved to Anfield from Southampton in 2017.
“I decided I would still go to the ceremony – and, in the end, it was a super night.
“I still consider it a great achievement to be up there with the biggest football icons in the world.
“I spoke to Messi during the evening. It was not the longest conversation because he doesn’t speak a lot of English.
“But it was still enough to make me realise that the respect between us now also runs the other way.”
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