Lionel Messi (36, Inter Miami), Elling Holland (23) and Kevin De Bruyne (32, Manchester City) have been shortlisted for the UEFA Player of the Year award.

The European Football Association (UEFA) officially announced the three finalists for the UEFA Player of the Year award for the 2022-2023 season on its official website on Sunday. Lionel Messi, Elling Holland, and Kevin De Bruyne are the three finalists.

“The UEFA Technical Study Group has drawn up the shortlist based on their performances and results for club and national teams in the 2022-2023 season,” UEFA explained.

Messi led his country Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar last year, totaling seven goals and three assists. 스포츠토토

In the final, Messi gave Argentina the lead with a penalty kick in the 23rd minute of the first half and then scored again three minutes into the second half of extra time to make it 3-2 after the score was tied at 2-2. In the ensuing penalty shootout, Messi took the first kick and rattled the net without making a mistake, giving Argentina a “hard carry” to win the World Cup in Qatar.

Messi broke several records at the World Cup. First, she set a record for appearances. In seven games, Messi became the first player in history to play in 26 World Cup matches. The previous record was 25, set by Germany’s “Iron Man” Lothar Matthaeus (61).

In addition, Messi, who scored the opening goal, has 12 goals and eight assists. He became the first player to reach 20 or more offensive points at a World Cup since record-keeping began in 1966.

When he completed his multi-goal performance in the third minute of extra time, he broke Pele’s World Cup scoring record. Messi now has 13 World Cup goals in his career. He broke Pele’s record of 12 goals.

Next up is the record for most minutes played in a World Cup. Before Messi, the record was held by Italian and AC Milan legend Paulo Maldini (54), who played 2,217 minutes of full-time football in all 23 matches he played.

Messi played 690 minutes (full-time) in the tournament alone, including 120 minutes in the final, for a total of 2,314 minutes on World Cup turf.

In the 2022-2023 season, Messi was also at his best for his club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Despite his age, he scored 21 goals and provided 20 assists in 41 official appearances, helping PSG win the league title.

Holland, who was nominated alongside Messi, was a monster in his first season at Manchester City. After scoring 36 goals in 35 Premier League games in the 2022-2023 season, he scored 12 goals in 11 Champions League games and three in four FA Cup games, playing a crucial role in City’s first-ever treble.