Haaland pips De Bruyne & Messi to UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award

UEFA has announced Manchester City striker Erling Braut Haaland as the winner of the prestigious 2022/23 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award.

The Norwegian centre-forward was announced as the winner at the 2023/24 Champions League group stage draw ceremony at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

Haaland pipped his teammate Kevin De Bruyne and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi to the award.

Bruyne notched 31 assists and ten goals to help City win the treble. The Belgian playmaker is a crucial cog in Pep Guardiola’s machine and had one of his best campaigns last season.

Messi led Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title, winning the Golden Ball award. The former Barcelona attacker has won the award twice but could not clinch his third as Haaland took it home.

Haaland spearheaded City to the treble last season as they won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

The 23-year-old finished as the top scorer in the Premier League with 36 goals, breaking multiple records in his first season in England following his big-money move from Borussia Dortmund.

He became the first player to score 20 Premier League goals before January and the fastest to record ten goals in the competition, among numerous other records.

The former RB Salzburg star took his goalscoring exploits to the Champions League, finishing as the top marksman with 12 goals. He scored four more than the next man on the list – Mohamed Salah.

Haaland recorded the most Champions League goals scored in a single season by a player at an English club.

He recently scooped the PFA Men’s Players’ Player of the Year award, beating De Bruyne, John Stones, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Harry Kane to the prize. 

However, Saka pipped Haaland to the PFA Young Player of the Year award after leading Arsenal’s failed title challenge.