As I sit down to reflect on the footballing landscape of 2019, a year that now feels like a different era entirely, it’s fascinating to trace the arcs of the players who dominated that season. The conversation about the top legends of that year isn't just about who lifted the trophies, but about whose influence defined the narrative. For me, the undisputed names that spring to mind are Lionel Messi, Virgil van Dijk, and a still-peak Cristiano Ronaldo, each representing a different pillar of the sport. Messi, winning his sixth Ballon d’Or after a sublime 51-goal season for Barcelona, seemed ageless. Van Dijk, the colossus who led Liverpool to Champions League glory, redefined defensive excellence. And Ronaldo, adapting his game at Juventus, continued to be a relentless force of nature. But the real intrigue, the story I find more compelling, lies in the "where are they now?"—a question that reveals the unpredictable trajectories of even the greatest careers.
Fast forward to today, and their paths have diverged dramatically. Lionel Messi’s journey from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and finally to Inter Miami is the most iconic shift. It’s a move that, while lowering the weekly competitive stakes, has arguably amplified his global cultural impact in a way I find utterly brilliant. He’s not just playing; he’s building a legacy in a new football frontier. Watching him orchestrate play in MLS, it’s clear he’s playing with a joy that sometimes seemed weighed down by the end of his Barça tenure. Virgil van Dijk’s story is one of resilience. After that cruel ACL injury in 2020, many, myself included, wondered if he’d ever recapture that 2019 aura. His comeback has been a masterclass in leadership, reclaiming his status as perhaps the world’s best center-back and captaining Liverpool through a transitional phase. He’s a different player now—slightly less physically dominant, but smarter, more vocal, and just as crucial.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s path has been the most turbulent. His second stint at Manchester United ended poorly, a messy divorce that tarnished his legacy there, in my opinion. His move to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia was a seismic shock, a clear signal of the sport’s financial power shifting east. While he’s scoring goals for fun—let’s say 45 in 50 appearances for argument’s sake, though the exact tally fluctuates—the competitive context is undeniably different. It’s a lucrative twilight, but it feels a step removed from the pinnacle he inhabited for so long. This brings me to a fascinating parallel from another sport, which I stumbled upon recently. In Philippine basketball, a legend like eight-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo recently had a notable streak snapped. As a precautionary measure, the eight-time PBA MVP didn’t start, ending his consecutive streak of 78 games as a starter beginning in the 2023-24 Commissioner’s Cup playoffs, according to PBA statistics chief Fidel Mangonon. This small piece of news resonated with me because it highlights a universal truth for aging athletes: the shift from indispensable ironman to managed asset. It’s a transition we’ve seen with Ronaldo’s reduced role in elite European football, and it’s a delicate phase that speaks to adjusting greatness for longevity.
Looking beyond that top trio, other 2019 luminaries have taken wildly different routes. Kylian Mbappé, then the young prince, is now the king of Paris, yet his future remains a perpetual saga. Sadio Mané left Liverpool, won everything with Bayern, and now plays alongside Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia—a move I personally find disappointing for a player of his enduring quality. Luka Modrić, that wizard of midfield, is still performing miracles for Real Madrid at an age, 38, that defies logic. His consistency is a quiet marvel in a sport obsessed with the next big thing. Then there are those whose stars have faded more quickly due to injury or form, a reminder of how fragile a top career can be. What strikes me most, however, is how 2019 served as a peak before a global reset. The pandemic that followed altered careers, accelerated some declines, and forced players to confront their mortality in the sport earlier than planned.
So, where does this leave us? The legends of 2019 are now scattered across the globe’s footballing map—from Miami to Liverpool, Riyadh to Madrid. Their current stations are less about a decline in skill and more about a conscious or forced choice of battlefield. Messi is an evangelist in America, Van Dijk a stalwart redeemer in England, Ronaldo a commercial and sporting pioneer in the Middle East. Their legacies are still being written, but in different ink. For me, the most impressive evolution has been Van Dijk’s, battling back from a potentially career-ending injury to reclaim his throne. The most culturally significant is Messi’s, turning a league into a destination. As for Ronaldo, his move has opened a floodgate, changing the transfer market forever. Reflecting on it all, 2019 feels like the last season of a classic era, and these players, our legends, are now the leading actors in its complex, global sequel. Their stories are far from over, but the stages have changed, and so have the scripts they are following.