Sadio Mane's golden 2019 of Champions League and World Club Cup success should have denied Lionel Messi his sixth Ballon d'Or, according to Demba Ba. 

The Liverpool winger's goals were instrumental in a year Jurgen Klopp piloted the Anfield side back to the peak of European football. 

Messi was dominant again in La Liga as he secured his tenth title, but after promising Nou Camp fans Champions League success, it was Mane and Liverpool who stunned the Argentine.  

Barcelona were humiliated 4-0 in the semi-final at Anfield, blowing a 3-0 first leg lead. The Reds progressed to beat Spurs in the final, allowing Mane's trophy haul to eclipse Messi's. 

The Argentine was still awarded the prestigious title though, with Mane only fourth behind Vigil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo. 

'These days we speak so much about statistics - I believe Mane had the individual and collective stats to have won the Ballon d'Or,' Ba told the Independent. 

'I always said if you swap Mane's stats in 2019 with Messi's, Messi still would have won it, even with fewer goals.

'The fact that Mane won the Champions League, the Super Cup, he played an unbelievable season and finished joint top goal-scorer in the Premier League, it's crazy!

'Not only that, he was decisive in all of the games. I believe he could have won it.

'I've had this talk with a lot of players. They say 'yeah, but Messi is a better player'. Of course, everyone knows that!

'Even if Sadio comes and tells me that he's better than Messi, I'd slap him in his face and tell him "shut up boy, sit down!" But in 2019, in my perspective, he had a better season.'

Messi did win the double in Spain, contributing a staggering 50 goals in 58 games in 2019. 

Mane hit 27 goals in 42 games, as the former Southampton winger drew the world's attention, stepping firmly out of team-mate Mo Salah's shadow.    

He was awarded with the African Player of the Year title ahead of Salah and Mancheter City's Riyad Mahrez, capping an incredible year.