Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo will go against each other again for Uefa’s Best Player in Europe award.
The trio emerged as the top candidates from an initial 32 player list for the award after a round of voting from 53 journalists representing each UEFA member association.
Messi won the award last year and had a prolific 2011 to 2012 season, scoring 50 league goals. He was also top scorer in the Champions League for the fourth successive season with a record with 14 goals.
The prize, awarded for the first time last year to Barcelona forward Messi, is firm by votes from sports journalists from across Europe and was introduced as a replacement for the Ballon d’Or when the prestigious honour was absorbed into FIFA’s World Player of the Year award in 2010.
Iniesta was also named Player of the Tournament following the finals in Poland and Ukraine and UEFA has disclosed that Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo, beaten in the final match in Kiev, came fourth in the vote to determine the Best Player in Europe award.
Ronaldo, temporarily, played an instrumental role in ensuring Real Madrid beat Barcelona to the Spanish title for the first time since 2008, with Los Blancos breaking new ground in terms of points gained and goals scored.
The winner will be going to announced on August 30th in Monaco on the same day as the Champions League group stage draw.High Quality Soccer Training Program Designed To Improve Soccer Skills. Earn 75% Off This Great Niche Product! High Conversions Because We Split Test Constantly!