Vinicius Junior Omitted from UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Shortlist, Baffles Real Madrid Supporters
Vinicius Junior Left Out of Top 10 for Prestigious Award, Stirring Confusion Among Real Madrid Fans
The exclusion of Vinicius Junior from yet another prestigious individual award shortlist has left Real Madrid supporters and likely those within the club perplexed and disheartened.
UEFA recently unveiled the shortlist for the Men’s Player of the Year award, naming Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne, and Lionel Messi as the top three contenders. The winner will be announced during the Champions League draw scheduled for August 31st.
The shortlist also featured Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri, Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, Declan Rice, Alexis Mac Allister, and Jesus Navas. Notably, four of the top five players hailed from Manchester City, the Champions League victors.
It’s the absence of Vinicius that has deeply frustrated Madridistas. Despite the Brazilian’s impressive performance, with 10 goals and 10 assists in 33 La Liga matches last season, along with a pivotal role in Real Madrid’s Champions League semi-final journey, his contributions were overlooked. Scoring 4 goals and providing 7 assists, Vinicius spearheaded Real Madrid’s attack, and his remarkable goal against Manchester City showcased his prowess.
Vinicius had previously been omitted from the FIFA Best awards in February, despite his notable accomplishments during the calendar year of 2022, where he stood among the world’s best players.
The award is determined through votes cast by managers of clubs that reached the group stages of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, UEFA national team managers, and a select group of journalists. An initial shortlist is crafted by a UEFA technical team.
Evidently, while Vinicius may have garnered recognition within Spain as one of the globe’s premier players, he appears to have some distance to cover in the eyes of those within the UEFA realm. As the upcoming season unfolds, Vinicius will seize another opportunity to solidify his stature, set to lead Real Madrid’s attack.
