News

Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo & Virgil Van Dijk Named Finalists For UEFA Men’s Player Of The Year Award

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Virgil Van Dijk were named finalists for the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award on Wednesday.

Juventus star Ronaldo, who has won the prize three times, has been nominated as a finalist every year since the honor was created in 2011. Messi has won the award twice, including last season after he finished as Barcelona’s leading scorer for both the Champions League (12 goals) and La Liga (36 goals). Barca lost to Liverpool 3-0 in the second leg of the Champions League semifinals in May.

Dutch defender Van Dijk, who plays for Liverpool, has already secured the Players’ Player of the Year award and the Premier League Player of the Season honor.

All three players were nominated by a jury of 80 coaches whose teams participated in last year’s Champions League, as well as by one reporter from each of UEFA’s 55 member associations.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

IN MEMORIAM: SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Ronaldo, a five-time Champions League winner, struggled in his debut with Juventus this past season. The Italian club fell to Ajax Amsterdam in the quarterfinals of the tournament. Nevertheless, he helped propel Juventus to its eighth Italian league title and compiled 21 goals.

The UEFA Player of the Year Award will be presented on Aug. 29 in Monaco at the Champions League group stage draw event.

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

Diontae Johnson Excited To Move From Panthers To Ravens, Could Help In Playoff Push

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is reportedly settling in well with the Baltimore Ravens after the…

12 hours ago

What Happened To Aaron Judge? After Yankees Fall Short In World Series, Fans Are Asking Questions

Aaron Judge seemed to flip the script on his disastrous World Series and postseason with…

12 hours ago

As The Yankees Collapse In World Series, Free Agency Battle For Juan Soto Begins

The New York Yankees' 2024 season came to a screeching halt Wednesday night when the…

2 days ago

Dodgers Win World Series In Game 5, Yankees Blow Five-Run Lead In Disastrous Finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to win…

2 days ago

Brad Pitt Makes Surprise Appearance At Mexican Grand Prix To Shoot His Movie, ‘F1’

https://youtu.be/Y69VZZt9rt4 Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Mexican Grand Prix’s practice round on Oct. 26.…

2 days ago

76er’s Joel Embiid Stays In NBA News Even While Not Playing

Joel Embiid’s name came up twice in NBA news this week as he continues to…

3 days ago