Haaland won the UEFA Best Player award
According to the announcement of the European Football Federation, in the Champions League draw for the 2023-2024 season on the evening of August 31, Haaland scored 352 points, ahead of Messi (227 points) and Kevin De Bruyne (225 points).
This result was created by a panel created by UEFA, including coaches of clubs participating in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League 2023-2024, coaches of UEFA national teams and 55 journalists. Each coach and journalist selects three players from the list, receiving five points, three points and one point in order.
"This is a huge award and I'm really proud of this recognition," Haaland said. "But, this is a team sport, and without my teammates, I wouldn't be able to achieve this."
Except for the FA Cup, Haaland is the top scorer in the remaining two important arenas. He scored 36 goals in the Premier League - a league record, and 12 in the Champions League - four more than the man behind Mohamed Salah (Liverpool). The 23-year-old striker also became the third player in history to score five goals in a Champions League match, after Messi and Luiz Adriano, when helping Man City win 7-0 over Leipzig in the second leg of the round of 16. . He is also the youngest and fastest player to set the 35-goal mark in the Champions League.
UEFA award awarded from the 2010-2011 season, to Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for winning the award three times, 2014, 2016 and 2017, while Messi twice won in 2011 and 2015. Last season's victory belonged to Karim Benzema, when he scored 15 goals on his way to helping Real win the championship. 14th in the Champions League, in addition to 27 goals in La Liga as well as the UEFA Nations League championship with France.
The victory in the coach category this year belongs to Pep Guardiola. The Spanish coach made a great contribution in helping Man City become the second English club in history to win three major titles in a season, after neighbor Man Utd in 1999. Guardiola is also the first coach to win three titles. with two different clubs, with Barca in the 2008-2009 season and Man City in the 2022-2023 season.
