In a recent announcement, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has revealed the shortlist of the three finalists for the ‘Player of the Year’ award in the past season.
The final shortlist includes three notable names: forward Lionel Messi, forward Erling Haaland, and midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
Within this list, two players from Manchester City, Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, have earned their spots deservedly due to their remarkable treble-winning feat. However, the case of Lionel Messi has sparked diverse opinions.
Despite clinching the World Cup 2022 title with the Argentine national team, Messi’s performance at the club level, particularly with PSG, has not been outstanding, with only a Ligue 1 title in the past season.
Many believe that the omission of midfielder Rodri from the top 3 finalists is regrettable, given his commendable performances. In the previous season, alongside achieving the historic treble with Manchester City, Rodri also secured the UEFA Nations League title with the Spanish national team. He was also honored by UEFA as the “Player of the Season” for the UEFA Champions League 2022/23.
According to UEFA’s released results, Rodri received 110 voting points, placing him 5th in the overall voting, just outside the top 3 nominations. Ilkay Gundogan secured the 4th spot with 129 voting points.
The UEFA “Player of the Year” award is based on votes from participating coaches in the previous season’s European club cup group stages, national team coaches affiliated with UEFA, and sports journalists.
As the award ceremony approaches, the football community eagerly awaits to find out who will be crowned as the ultimate “Player of the Year” by UEFA.
