How Messi Is Eligible For UEFA Award While Playing In America: Answered.

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Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) today announced the names of the top three nominees for the 2022/23 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award with Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi making the final three. This has sparked many arguments and debates among football fans across the globe about his eligibility for the award while playing outside Europe and whether he even deserves to be shortlisted for the honour.

Messi, who had a relatively underwhelming 2022/23 European season with Paris Saint Germain, crashing out of the UEFA Champions League in the Round of 16, was shortlisted alongside Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne for the award. The award winner will be announced at the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage draw ceremony, which will take place on Thursday August 31 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

For questions on how a player plying his trade outside Europe could be considered for an European award, Messi's inclusion violets none of UEFA's rules and perfectly aligns with the criteria for the award scheme.

According to UEFA, the award recognize(s) the best player playing for a football club within the territory of a UEFA member association during the previous season. Players are judged by their performances in all competitions, domestic and international, and at club and national team levels throughout the season.

Fans' uproar also led to Europe's football governing body releasing a communique to explain why Messi made the final cut for this year's prestigious award. Messi led Argentina to the World Cup title for the first time since 1986, and UEFA noted that this was part of the reason he made the top three, saying,

Though Messi starred for Paris and ended the season with his second Ligue 1 title, it was his exploits at the FIFA World Cup with Argentina that really caught the eye.

 

After extolling his World Cup performance where he contributed directly to 10 goals in seven games, UEFA also noted his equally impressive numbers in the Uefa Champions League and Ligue 1, where he was directly involved in 40 goals in 39 appearances across both competitions.

Therefore, his impressive performance last season was enough for UEFA to consider him for the Men’s Player of the Year Award despite not playing in Europe anymore.


Joshua Afari | afarijosh99@gmail.com

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