Lionel Messi has secured his place in the three-player shortlist, revealed on Thursday, for the prestigious UEFA Best Player in Europe award of the previous season.
The Argentina World Cup-winning captain, who has embarked on a new chapter with Inter Miami CF in the United States, faces competition from Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, both hailing from Manchester City.
Messi has previously clinched the UEFA award twice, on occasions when Barcelona held the title of European champions. Notably, Manchester City claimed the Champions League championship last season.
Pep Guardiola stands as the favored candidate for the men’s coaching accolade, having steered Manchester City to triumph in the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup. Nominations also encompass Simone Inzaghi from Inter Milan, guiding his side to the Champions League final, and Luciano Spalletti, who orchestrated Napoli’s conquest of the Italian league.
The victors will be unveiled during the Champions League draw scheduled for August 31 in Monaco.
UEFA has indicated that the shortlists for the women’s player and coaching awards will be disclosed in the upcoming week, following the conclusion of the Women’s World Cup. The final between England and Spain will transpire on Sunday in Australia.
Kylian Mbappé, formerly Messi’s teammate at Paris Saint-Germain, secured the sixth position in the player voting conducted by coaches and journalists based in Europe. This is despite Mbappé’s remarkable feat of netting eight goals in the previous year’s World Cup, including a hat-trick in the final against Argentina.
Surpassing Mbappé in the rankings were Manchester City midfielders Ilkay Gündogan and Rodri, with Rodri’s goal proving decisive in the Champions League final.
Marcelo Brozovic, the only Inter player to receive votes, secured the eighth place. However, the Croatian midfielder has since made a transition to the Saudi league.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, who have both embarked on new journeys in Saudi Arabia, did not amass any votes from the UEFA panel, consisting of coaches from clubs that partook in the group stages of the three European competitions.
Roberto De Zerbi secured the fourth spot in the coaching vote, despite his Brighton team’s absence from European competitions. Brighton is poised to debut in the UEFA Europa League next month after a commendable sixth-place finish in the Premier League.
Among the ten coaches receiving partial votes were Franck Haise, who guided Lens to second place in the French league, and David Moyes of West Ham United, victors in the Europa League Conference.