Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists Virgil van Dijk belongs at the level of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Van Dijk had been expected to become the first Premier-League based player to scoop the Fifa prize since Cristiano Ronaldo won it when playing for Manchester United in 2009.
Instead, it was Barcelona's Argentine icon Messi who won for the SIXTH TIME at Fifa's The Best ceremony at Milan's La Scala opera house.
Kop boss Klopp did see Alisson pick up the goalkeeper's award.
Klopp insisted: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated this competition pretty much for ever.
They are good role models for young players in this way.
You cannot get to these heights if you are not this kind of player.
And it's now the same for Virgil. The other guys know they have to give everything.
It shows how he has grown. It's not only about the spectacular, it's all the other things as well.
It's really nice to see a defender getting rewards. He didn't have to win it.
Go through the names: Ronaldo, Messi and Van Dijk. It's already crazy."
