Controversy As Vinicius, Rodri Snubbed for Messi for UEFA Player of the Year Award

• Manchester City stars dominate the nominees for UEFA Player of the Year awards
• Erling Haaland and De Bruyne will compete with Lionel Messi for the gong
• Vinicius Junior and Rodri surprisingly missed out on the shortlist

UEFA have unveiled the trio of frontrunners contending for the coveted 2022-23 UEFA Men's Player of the Year award, a list that notably excludes Vinicius Junior and Rodri.

The initial shortlist was meticulously curated by the UEFA technical study group, assessing players' remarkable contributions to both their clubs and national teams throughout the 2022-23 season.

From a pool of standout performers in the 2022/2023 season, a trio of exceptional talents emerged as the final contenders.

World Cup victor Lionel Messi, Premier League's leading goal-scorer Erling Haaland, and treble achiever Kevin De Bruyne have been nominated as the triumvirate competing for the esteemed award.

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UEFA top three nominees

In a statement released by UEFA on Twitter, it was stated:

"NOMINEES of the UEFA Men's Player of the Year 2022/23 are Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi.

"All #UEFAawards winners will be announced at the #UCLdraw on 31 August."

Vinicius snubbed by UEFA

Surprisingly, despite his superlative season with Real Madrid, Vinicius found himself excluded from the prestigious trio of players announced by UEFA.

The Brazilian, who had an exceptional campaign, made 33 appearances, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists for Real Madrid in La Liga, per Transfermarkt.

He also produced good performances in the Champions League, scoring seven goals and providing five assists in 12 games.

UEFA rejects Rodri

According to Sportskeeda, Rodri was the star of the show at the Ataturk Stadium in the final against Inter Milan. His winner sent City on their way to a 1-0 victory and their first European title.

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The Spanish midfielder stood out for Guardiola's Cityzens throughout the 2022-23 campaign. He featured 56 times across competitions, scoring four goals and providing seven assists. However, he also missed out on being nominated.

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Sports Brief also reported on the decision to hold the 2022 World Cup in the 'weird' month of December sparking unprecedented debate ahead of the 2023 Ballon d'Or race.

The World Cup is often a strong indicator of who will win, with Messi believed to be leading the race for the coveted gong, yet Haaland has since immersed himself in the debate.

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