August 31, (THEWILL) – Erling Haaland has been crowned the 2022/2023 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year, ahead of Lionel Messi and Kevin De Bruyne in the voting.
The Manchester City and Norway striker received the award at the UEFA gala in Monaco on Thursday, following a season in which he scored an astonishing 52 goals in 53 games across all competitions, helping his club to a historic treble of English Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.
The 23-year-old was unstoppable in front of goal, breaking the EPL record with 36 goals and finishing as the top scorer in both domestic and European competitions. He also became the youngest and quickest player to reach 35 Champions League goals in total, and only the third player to score five in a single game. His goals helped City lift their first Champions League trophy.
Haaland is the first Manchester City player to win the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award, which was established in 2011. He is also the first Norwegian player to claim the honour, and only the second from a Nordic country, after Luka Modrić of Croatia in 2017/2018. Haaland is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, with his pace, power, finishing and movement.
The other two finalists for the award were Inter Miami and Argentina forward, Lionel Messi, who led his country to another Copa América title and first World Cup since Diego Maradona, and Manchester City and Belgium midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne, who was instrumental in City’s domestic and European success.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
