Cristiano Ronaldo Deserved the Best Award, Not Lionel Messi, Says Fabio Paratici

Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici has defended club-record-signing Cristiano Ronaldo and said the Bianconeri star deserved to be named The Best FIFA Men's Player for 2019 ahead of Lionel Messi.

Barcelona icon Messi, 32, won the FIFA accolade for the first time in his career, but Paratici told Corriere dello Sport (h/t Goal's Kieran Francis) it should have been Ronaldo who collected the trophy:

"We are also disappointed over the award last night. 

"While still respecting Messi, who is a great player, we think and thought that after last season, having won the Nations League, Serie A, and the Italian Super Cup, having played a great Champions League, he [Ronaldo] deserved this award."

Liverpool and Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk came second in the ballot, while Ronaldo was third—his first time finishing outside the top two since this award began in 2016.

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, 34, was named The Best FIFA Men's Player in 2016 and 2017 before he finished as runner-up in the 2018 vote to former Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric.

Opta contrasted Messi and Ronaldo's goal contribution for 2018-19 prior to the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award—won by Van Dijk—in August, which pointed to the Argentinian as the superior player:

Ronaldo joined Juve from Real Madrid in a €100 million deal last summer and enjoyed a successful first season in Turin, winning Serie A and netting 21 league goals along the way.

The Portuguese failed to win despite the fact Messi voted his rival second out of his three nominees, while Ronaldo didn't include the Barca superstar in his top three, per Francis' report.

Former Premier League players Ian Wright and Chris Sutton recently appeared on BBC 5 Live Sport and said they felt Van Dijk deserved to be named The Best this year:

Ronaldo's triumph with Portugal in the inaugural UEFA Nations League will have surely boosted his chances at the award, though not enough to convince his peers he deserved it more than Messi.

BT Sport recently tracked the surge of scoring success Ronaldo and Messi have enjoyed in the Champions League compared to other continental greats:

Ronaldo scored only once in his first six UEFA Champions League appearances for Juve, but he ended the last European campaign with six goals before Ajax knocked the Old Lady out in the quarter-finals.

Barcelona exited last term's Champions League in the semi-finals after a historic second-leg comeback from champions Liverpool; Messi finished his campaign with 12 goals in 10 European games.

The South American was back in action for Barcelona on Tuesday and came off with an apparent injury in their 2-1 win over Villarreal, while Ronaldo could return for Juve at home to SPAL on Saturday.