Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne nominated for 2022-23 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award

The UEFA on Thursday unveiled their top three nominees for the 2022-23 Men’s Player of the Year award. The standout contenders are Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who played for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) before moving to Inter Miami, has had an impressive year. He was instrumental in securing Argentina’s victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar which highlighted both his exceptional skill and leadership.

Meanwhile, Manchester City’s duo, Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, played pivotal roles in leading their club to a historic treble last season, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

The winner of this prestigious award will be announced during the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League group stage draw ceremony at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on August 31. Other notable mentions who received votes include Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri, Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, Declan Rice, Alexis Mac Allister and Jesus Navas.

The selection process for the shortlist was meticulous, with the UEFA technical study group shortlisting players based on their performances during the 2022-23 season, both at the club level and national team level.

The top three were then voted for by a jury consisting of the coaches of the clubs that participated in the group stages of the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League, along with the coaches of UEFA’s member associations’ national teams. A select group of journalists from the European Sports Media were also included in the jury.

The jury was asked to allocate points to their top three players, with the player with the most points declared the winner. The jury was not permitted to vote for players from their respective teams, ensuring impartiality in the process.