Messi to battle Haaland, DeBruyne for UEFA men's POTY award

Inter Miami starman, Lionel Messi has been shortlisted for the 2023 UEFA Player of the Year Award.

The Argentine icon has been nominated along with Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Kevin DeBruyne.

The three players emerged as players with the most votes from a pool of players selected by the UEFA technical study group based on performance during the 2022/23 season at both club and country.

According to UEFA, the jury that voted included coaches of the clubs which played in the group stages of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League, together with the coaches of the men's national teams of UEFA's member associations.

Also, some journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) also partook in the voting.

With the same voting criteria, coaches shortlisted for the year award include, Josep GUARDIOLA (Spain – Manchester City FC), Simone INZAGHI (Italy – FC Internazionale Milano), and Luciano SPALLETTI (Italy – SSC Napoli).

The annual UEFA awards event is slated to take place on Thursday 31 August in Monaco, France.

Aside from the aforementioned categories, UEFA is expected to award the best striker, best goalkeeper, and best midfielder, goal of the season as well as announce UEFA Team of the season.

Men's player of the year

Kevin DE BRUYNE (Belgium – Manchester City FC)

Erling HAALAND (Norway – Manchester City FC)

Lionel MESSI (Argentina – Paris Saint-Germain, now at Inter Miami CF)

The rest of the players who received votes

4 İlkay Gündoğan (Germany & Manchester City, now at Barcelona – 129 points

5 Rodri (Spain & Manchester City) – 110 points

6 Kylian Mbappé (France & Paris) – 82 points

7 Luka Modrić (Croatia & Real Madrid) – 33 points

8 Marcelo Brozović (Croatia & Inter, now at Al Nassr) – 20 points

9 Declan Rice (England & West Ham, now at Arsenal) – 14 points

10 Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina & Brighton, now at Liverpool) – 12 points

11 Jesús Navas (Spain & Sevilla) – 6 points

Coach of the year

Josep GUARDIOLA (Spain – Manchester City FC)

Simone INZAGHI (Italy – FC Internazionale Milano)

Luciano SPALLETTI (Italy – SSC Napoli)

The rest of the coaches who received votes

4 Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton) – 70 points

5 Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) – 67 points

6 Zlatko Dalić (Croatia) – 49 points

7 José Luis Mendilibar (Sevilla) – 28 points

8 Didier Deschamps (France) – 26 points

9 David Moyes (West Ham) – 22 points

10 Franck Haise (Lens) – 11 points

EE/KPE