Lionel Messi has secured a spot on the three-player shortlist unveiled on Thursday for the esteemed UEFA award as the best player in Europe for the previous season.

The Argentine maestro, who clinched victory at the FIFA World Cup and has since transitioned to Inter Miami, finds himself in competition with Manchester City comrades Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. Messi, a two-time winner of the UEFA award, secured his accolades during his time with Barcelona when the club reigned as European champions. Remarkably, Man City emerged triumphant in last season’s UEFA Champions League.

Pep Guardiola, at the helm of Manchester City’s accomplishments, emerges as the frontrunner for the men’s coaching award. His leadership steered Man City to victory in the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup. Other notable contenders include Simone Inzaghi of Inter Milan, guiding his team to the Champions League final, and Luciano Spalletti, who orchestrated Napoli’s capture of the Serie A title.

The unveiling of the winners is scheduled to take place during the Champions League draw set for August 31 in Monaco.

The shortlists for the women’s player and coaching awards are anticipated to be disclosed in the forthcoming week after the conclusion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, as confirmed by UEFA. The England-Spain clash on Sunday in Australia will determine the champion.

Kylian Mbappé, Messi’s former teammate at Paris Saint-Germain, secured the sixth position in the player voting conducted by Europe-based coaches and journalists. This position is notably despite his exceptional performance of scoring eight goals during last year’s World Cup, including three in the final against Argentina.

Above Mbappé in the rankings stand Man City midfielders Ilkay Gündogan and Rodri. The latter’s crucial goal played a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the Champions League final.

Marcelo Brozovic of Inter was the sole player from the team to receive votes, achieving the eighth spot. The Croatian midfielder has since transitioned to the Saudi Pro League.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, both having migrated to Saudi Arabia, did not secure any votes from the UEFA panel, which consisted of coaches from clubs that participated in the group stages of the three major European competitions.

Notably, Roberto De Zerbi clinched the fourth place in the coaching vote despite his Brighton team’s absence from European competitions. Brighton is set to debut in the UEFA Europa League next month following a sixth-place finish in the Premier League.

Among the 10 coaches receiving some votes were Franck Haise, who led Lens to a commendable second place in Ligue 1, and David Moyes, who guided UEFA Europa League Conference champions West Ham United.

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