This week, Uefa announced that Kevin de Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neur as the top three players shortlisted for the 2019/2020 Uefa Men’s Player of the Year award. The winner will be announced on 1 October along with the Uefa Women’s Player of the Year during the 2020/2021 Uefa Champions League draw.
It is without a shadow of a doubt that the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominance era has ended. For the first time in a decade, the two players are not shortlisted for any of the Uefa awards.
Messi, Renaldo vs the underdogs
Even though the two footballers managed to land themselves in their respective clubs’ history books, they were both nowhere to be seen in some of the major cup competitions, including the Uefa Champions League.
The 2019/2020 football season has seen some football underdogs rise and engrave their names in the hearts of the football fraternity.
Players who had a successful season in their respective leagues:
Robert Lewandowski
The 2019/2020 is undoubtedly Lewandowski’s best season ever in his football career. Lewandoski played 43 matches this season and scored 68 goals across all competitions (including 51 for Bayern Munich) making him the top scorer in every competition he’s played in.
He currently has 15 goals for the Champions League campaign, two goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals scored for the Champions League in a single season. In fact, he scored 34 goals in 31 appearances which made him the top scorer in Bundesliga for his team.
Kevin de Bruyne
The 29-year-old Belgian was named the Premier League’s Player of the Season and two of his goals won Goal of the Month. The Manchester City midfielder had 35 appearances, scored 13 goals and had a record 20 assists.
FRANCK FIFE / POOL / AFP
Romelu Lukaku
The Belgian moved to Italy last summer after an unsuccessful stay at Old Trafford with Manchester United. Lukaku claimed his former glory when he scored 34 goals this season and had the most Man of the Match awards (10).
He recently won the SempreInter.Com Inter Player of the Season Award in his first year with Italian side, Inter Milan Football Club.
Karim Benzema
The French international recorded 26 goals and 11 assists in 47 appearances this season. Benzema won the 2019/20 Real Madrid Mahou Cinco Estrellas Player of the Season accolade, as voted for by the club’s supporters.
Ciro Immobile
The Lazio striker scored 36 goals for the 2019/2020 season, surpassing Juventus striker, Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi to win the European Golden Shoe. Immobile won the Shoe for the first time in his career, becoming the first Italian player or player from Serie A to win the award since Francesco Totti in 2007.
