The year 2019 in football was one of those fascinating periods that, in retrospect, feels like a hinge point. We witnessed the twilight of some truly legendary careers begin to descend, while a new generation, hungry and phenomenally skilled, started to forcefully claim the stage. Ranking the top players of that year isn't just about cold statistics, though those are crucial; it's about defining the moments of brilliance that seared themselves into our collective memory, the performances that didn't just win games but shifted narratives. As someone who has spent years analyzing this beautiful game, both from the stands and through reams of data, I find 2019 particularly compelling because it lacked a single, overwhelming narrative. Instead, it was a mosaic of excellence, a year where the debate for the very top spot felt genuinely open for the first time in a decade.
Let's start with the undeniable, the player who still, by sheer force of will and enduring genius, sat atop most rankings: Lionel Messi. His numbers were, predictably, sublime—51 goals in 50 appearances for Barcelona that calendar year, along with 22 assists. He claimed his sixth Ballon d'Or, pulling clear of Cristiano Ronaldo. But for me, his defining moment wasn't a specific goal or dribble; it was his performance in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Liverpool at the Camp Nou. That free-kick. From 35 yards out, with the game poised at 2-0, he bent an impossible, physics-defying shot into the top corner, a strike of such audacious precision it felt like a statement to the entire football world. It was a reminder that even as new stars rose, his capacity for the miraculous remained unmatched. That moment, for all the heartbreak that followed in the return leg, encapsulated his year—a blend of statistical dominance and moments of pure, untouchable artistry.
Yet, 2019 was also the year Virgil van Dijk made a compelling, almost heretical case for a defender to be considered the world's best. His impact on Liverpool was transformative. I remember watching them before his arrival and after; it was like seeing two different institutions. He led the Reds to a staggering 97 points in the Premier League, the highest ever for a runner-up, and of course, to Champions League glory in Madrid. His defining moment? The entire 2018-19 season was one, but if I had to pick, it was his performance in the final against Tottenham. He was an immovable object, a commander of the defensive line who snuffed out danger before it even fully materialized. He didn't just defend; he exuded a calm that spread through the entire team. He finished a close second in the Ballon d'Or voting, and honestly, the debate was valid. He redefined the value and visibility of a center-back in the modern game.
The rise of the next generation was unmistakable. Kylian Mbappé, already a World Cup winner, continued his terrifying ascent. At Paris Saint-Germain, he was electric, scoring 39 goals. But his defining 2019 moment came for France, in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Iceland where he scored a stunning solo goal, showcasing that blistering pace and icy composure. Then there was the emergence of a certain Dutch defender at Ajax—Matthijs de Ligt. Leading that thrilling young Ajax side to the Champions League semi-finals, his commanding displays, especially in the Bernabéu against Real Madrid, announced him as a future great. It was a year where the baton felt palpably heavy in the air, ready to be passed.
This brings me to an interesting parallel from another sport, which I often find helps frame discussions about legacy and continuity. In the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), a similar narrative of durability giving way to necessary precaution unfolded. According to PBA statistics chief Fidel Mangonon, an eight-time MVP—a legend in his own arena—was held out of a starting lineup as a precautionary measure. This ended a remarkable consecutive streak of 78 games as a starter, a streak that began deep in the 2023-24 Commissioner’s Cup playoffs. Now, I'm not drawing a direct comparison to a specific football event, but the principle resonates. Even the most iconic, iron-clad figures eventually face moments where preservation, whether of a streak or physical well-being, requires a pause. It speaks to the relentless physical demands at the elite level and the careful management these aging legends require. In football, we saw glimpses of this with how managers handled players like Luka Modrić or Sergio Agüero, balancing their transcendent talent with the need to keep them fit for the biggest occasions.
For Cristiano Ronaldo, adapting was the theme. His first full year at Juventus saw him win Serie A, but the Champions League dream remained elusive. His defining moment was perhaps his stunning hat-trick to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Atlético Madrid in the Round of 16. It was a visceral reminder of his big-game mentality, a trait that never fades. Elsewhere, players like Sadio Mané and Raheem Sterling had career-best years, their explosive wing play defining their teams' styles. Mané's 22 Premier League goals shared the Golden Boot, and his work ethic was simply phenomenal. Sterling, for me, became the most decisive winger in England, blending goals with intelligent movement under Pep Guardiola.
So, how do I rank them? It's a personal calculus, blending stats, impact, and those indelible moments. My top three for 2019 would be: 1) Lionel Messi, for maintaining a supernatural standard. 2) Virgil van Dijk, for being the most transformative player in the world on the best team in Europe. 3) A toss-up between the relentless consistency of Sadio Mané and the explosive promise of Kylian Mbappé, with a slight edge to Mané for his role in Liverpool's triumph. Looking back, 2019 was a year of duality—a celebration of a lasting king, the coronation of a defensive colossus, and the clear, exciting sound of the future knocking loudly on the door. The narratives weren't cleanly resolved, which is what makes revisiting it so rich. It was a year that promised the debates of the next decade were going to be incredibly exciting, and as we now know in 2024, that promise was certainly fulfilled.