Former Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart has dismissed claims Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is among the world's best.

Van Dijk, along with Lionel Messi (Barcelona) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), is nominated for Fifa's "The Best" award.

However, Dutch compatriot Van der Vaart does not consider Van Dijk a genuine contender.

"He is not the best player in the world, but he is special," he told Tuttomercatoweb.

"Messi and Ronaldo are the best, but you can't compare defenders with strikers."