Lionel Messi, Kevin de Bruyne, and Erling Haaland are the top contenders for the prestigious UEFA Best Player of the 2022/23 season award. Messi, who previously played for PSG and now represents Inter Miami, is up against the Manchester City duo of de Bruyne and Haaland. The winner will be announced on Thursday, October 31st at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco during the draw for the 2023/24 Champions League groups.
The shortlist was compiled by a jury consisting of coaches from clubs that participated in last season’s European competitions, senior men’s team coaches, and a group of journalists. Other notable players who received votes include Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri Hernández, Kylian Mbappé, Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, Declan Rice, Alexis Mac Allister, and Jesús Navas.
Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan), Luciano Spalletti (Napoli), and Josep Guardiola (Manchester City) are the candidates for the Best Coach of the campaign award. The nominees were chosen based on their successful performances in the Champions League and the European Super Cup. Roberto de Zerbi (Brighton), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Zlatko Dalic (Croatia team), José Luis Mendilíbar (Sevilla), Didier Deschamps (France), David Moyes (West Ham), and Franck Haise (Lens) also received votes.
In response to the selection of Lionel Messi, UEFA clarified that his nomination was primarily due to his outstanding performance at the FIFA World Cup with the Argentine national team. Although he also had a successful season with PSG, it was his achievements in the World Cup, including scoring seven goals and winning the Ballon d’Or, that caught the attention and warranted his inclusion as a candidate.
The nominees for UEFA Player and Coach of the Year for the 2022/23 season will be announced in the coming week.