Barcelona's Lionel Messi wins Player of the Year at Best Fifa Awards: 'It's a special night for me'

Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp was named best manager, while Cristiano Ronaldo stayed at home

Argentinian player Lionel Messi and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp shake hands. EPA

Lionel Messi poses with his family during the Best FIFA Football Awards. EPA

(From left) USA's midfielder Rose Lavelle, US and Orlando Pride forward Alex Morgan, US and Reign FC midfielder Megan Rapinoe and Brazil and Orlando Pride forward, Marta attend the presentation of the FIFA FIFPRO Women's World Eleven Team during The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony, on September 23, 2019 in Milan. AFP

Ronaldo attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Barcelona's Dutch midfielder Frenkie De Jong and his girlfriend Mikky Kiemeney arrive. AFP

Real Madrid's Marcelo attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Ajax's Donny van de Beek attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Marc-André ter Stegen attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at the Teatro Alla Scala. Getty Images

Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric with his wife Vanja Bosnic and their children Ivano and Ema arrive for The Best FIFA Football Awards. AFP

Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi arrives for The Best FIFA Football Awards. AFP

Real Madrid and Spain defender Sergio Ramos arrives with his partner Pilar Rubio. AFP

(From left) Belgium and Real Madrid forward, Eden Hazard, Brazilian and Real Madrid defender Marcelo, Spain and Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos and Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric. AFP

US and Orlando Pride forward Alex Morgan arrives for The Best FIFA Football Awards. AFP

Kylian Mbappé attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Portuguese coah Jose Mourinho presents the trophy for the Best FIFA Women's Coach of 2019 Award. AFP

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino attends The Best FIFA Football Awards. Getty Images

Liverpool's Alisson Becker of Brazil receives the Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award. EPA

Carles Puyol attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Cristian Vieri and Costanza Caracciolo attend The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Hugo Sánchez attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Julio Cesar, Roberto Carlos and Gilberto Silva attend The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Samuel Eto'o attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Marcel Desailly attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Argentinian Lionel Messi receives the The Best FIFA Men's Player award from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. EPA

Megan Rapinoe receives The Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year award by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Getty Images

Ivan Zamorano and Javier Zanett The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at the Teatro Alla Scala. Getty Images

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks on stage during The Best FIFA Football Awards. Getty Images

Demetrio Albertini attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at the Teatro Alla Scala. Getty Images

Santiago Solari attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Fabio Capello attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Peter Schmeichel attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Youssou N'Dour (R) attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019. Getty Images

Best FIFA Women's Coach of 2019, USA head coach Jill Ellis (left) and Best FIFA Men's Coach of 2019 Liverpool coach, Germany's Jurgen Klopp pose at the end of The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony. AFP

FIFPro Women's World 11 Players of the Year pose during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at the Teatro alla Scala. Getty Images

Dutch player Frenkie de Jong (centre), Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi (right) and Brazilian and Real Madrid defender Marcelo. AFP

FIFA FIFPro Men's World 11 Players of the Year (L-R) Alisson, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo Vieira, Lionel Messi, Frenkie de Jong, Eden Hazard, Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric, Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt. Getty Images

Artists perform during the Best FIFA Football Awards. EPA

Women top eleven team during the Best FIFA Football Awards. EPA

Lionel Messi poses after winning the Best FIFA Men's player award with the winner of the Best FIFA Men's coach award Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, winner of the Best FIFA Women's player award USA women's Megan Rapinoe and the winner of the Best FIFA Women's coach award USA women's coach Jill Ellis. Reuters

Lionel Messi won the Fifa Men's Player of the Year award for the first time at a star-studded ceremony in Milan on Monday.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who was also shortlisted for the award, stayed at home however.

Barcelona striker Messi edged out Liverpool's Champions League winner Virgil Van Dijk, while all three were named in Fifa's World 11 best team. There was no place in the team for Liverpool's Mohamed Salah who came fourth in the overall men's voting, while Sadio Mane was fifth and Kylian Mbappe sixth.

"I want to thank those who decided to give me this recognition," said Messi.

"The most important thing for me is the collective awards, but today is also a very special night for me."

Ronaldo won the award in 2016 and 2017, and, with a break from the Ronaldo-Messi award domination, Croatian Luka Modric beat both last year.

Although unseen in Milan, Ronaldo did show himself on social media, posting an image on Instagram of himself at what appeared to be his home.

He accompanied the picture with a message that translated to: "Patience and persistence are two characteristics that differentiate the professional from the amateur. Everything that is big today has started small. You can't do everything, but do everything you can to make your dreams come true. And keep in mind that after night always comes dawn."

Messi was top scorer in the Champions League last season with 12 goals as Barcelona reached the semi-finals where

they were beaten by Liverpool in a dramatic second-leg encounter at Anfield.

The Argentine scored 36 goals to win the European Golden Shoe, plus the La Liga title with Barcelona and claimed bronze at 2019 Copa America.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp won the men's coach of the year award ahead of Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino, and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola. Alisson Becker won the goalkeeper prize.

The men's world XI was as follows:

GK: Alisson

DF: Matthijs de Ligt

DF: Sergio Ramos

DF: Marcelo

DF: Virgil van Dijk

MF: Frenkie de Jong

MF: Eden Hazard

MF: Luka Modric

FW: Cristiano Ronaldo

FW: Kylian Mbappe

FW: Lionel Messi

American Megan Rapinoe, who scored six goals at the women's World Cup, beat teammate Alex Morgan and England's Lucy Bronze to the women's prize, with her USA coach Jill Ellis lifting the women's coaching award.

"I'm a little bit at a loss for words, if you can believe it, it rarely happens to me," said Rapinoe who also commented on racism and women's rights.

"We have such an incredible opportunity being professional football players.

"We have incredible platforms, the unique opportunity to use this to actually change the world for the better."

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa won the fair play award for allowing Aston Villa to score an equaliser during their 1-1 draw in their Championship match in April.

Romanian-born Hungarian forward Daniel Zsori's spectacular overhead kick for Debrecen against Ferencvaros won the Fifa Puskas Award for the best goal, beating strikes from Messi and Juan Fernando Quintero.