Paris, Dec 2 (AFP/APP): Lionel Messi and USA women’s World Cup superstar Megan Rapinoe are tipped to leave Paris later on Monday with the 2019 Ballon d’Or awards. It would be an enormous shock if Rapinoe did not depart the Chatelet Theatre with the women’s prize as she returns to the country where she was the driving force on and off the field for the United States as they retained their title. The suspense surrounds the identity of the men’s winner, 12 months after Croatia’s Luka Modric claimed the crown thanks to his exploits in dragging his country to the World Cup final and winning the Champions League with Real Madrid. That ended a decade in which Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had won the Ballon d’Or five times each, but the smart money now is on the Barcelona man claiming number six. There are 30 nominees in total for the prize, organised by France Football magazine and voted for by 180 journalists from around the world. – The case for Van Dijk – Among the names is Ronaldo, as well as several of the stars of the Liverpool side who won the Champions League, chief among them Dutch defender Virgil … Continue reading Messi and Rapinoe expected to take Ballon d’Or honours