After Manchester City lifted their maiden Super Cup trophy with a thrilling win over Sevilla in Europe’s traditional curtain-raiser for the season 2023-2024, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has confirmed that two star performers from last season’s Champions League-winning side have joined Lionel Messi in the three-man list for the Men’s Player of the Year award. On Thursday, UEFA revealed the top three nominees for the 2022/23 Men’s Player of the Year.
Even though Messi had a forgetful season with Paris Saint Germain (PSG), the Inter Miami superstar has emerged as a top contender for the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award. The former FC Barcelona superstar guided Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last year. Messi won his second Ligue 1 title with PSG last season. The former PSG star is the first Argentinian to lift the World Cup trophy since late Diego Maradona. The Argentina captain netted seven goals in the FIFA World Cup 2022. Messi was also crowned the winner of the Golden Ball for being the best overall player at the Qatar spectacle.
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Haaland vs Messi vs De Bruyne: Who will win Men’s Player of the Year award?
Joining Messi in the top three nominees for the 2022/23 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year is Erling Haaland, who had a record-breaking season with Manchester City. The star forward capped off a goal-fest season with Pep Guardiola’s men as the ex-Borussia Dortmund star netted 36 goals in the English Premier League (EPL). Haaland scored 12 Champions League goals in Man City’s title-winning campaign.
Haaland’s Man City teammate Kevin De Bruyne is also nominated for the prestigious award. The 32-year-old played an instrumental role in helping Man City secure three major titles last season. De Bruyne, who propelled Man City to their maiden Champions League triumph and a historic domestic double, produced the most number of assists (16) in the English top flight. In 10 Champions League games last season, De Bruyne scored two goals and earned 7 assists to his name.
No votes for Ronaldo and Neymar
Interestingly, superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar received no votes from the UEFA panel. Man City boss Guardiola is the leading candidate for the men’s coach award. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager has been nominated alongside Simone Inzaghi of Inter Milan and Luciano Spalletti, who guided Napoli to the Serie A title last season. UEFA will also announce the shortlisted candidates for the women’s player and coach awards next week. The winners of the UEFA awards will be announced at the Champions League draw on August 31 in Monaco.