🏆 Ballon d'OneFootball: And in 19th place is ... | OneFootball

Welcome to the third annual edition of the Ballon d’OneFootball as we continue our countdown of the top 25 players in the world.

Click right here to see the full list so far.

And today we have …

19th: Sadio Mané, Liverpool and Senegal

(Last year: 17th)

What a year it’s been for Sadio Mané.

With Mohamed Salah in the form of his life it would be very easy for other players in that Liverpool attack to quiver in the shadows.

Instead, Mané has risen to the challenge set by his Egyptian team-mate and gone toe-to-toe with arguably the world’s greatest player over these past 12 months.

The second half of last season was actually a barren one for Mané, as he netted just four goals between February and the end of the season, going nine games without finding the back of the net.

But his return over the summer brought a new lease of life with goals in crucial games against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.

And then there was the African Cup of Nations.

Senegal went into the tournament in Cameroon as one of the favourites and despite a stuttering group stage exploded in the knockout phase.

Mané scored three goals, helping them past Cape Verde in the round of 16 and a vital one in the semi-final against Burkina Faso.

His captain’s moment though, came in the final as he stepped up for the final penalty and struck it past Mohamed Abou Gabal for Senegal’s first AFCON title.

Cue astonishing scenes back home and a year to remember for the world class Liverpool man.

Click here to see the entire list so far