Ranking 5 best UEFA Player of the Year award winners
The 'UEFA Men's Player of the Year' award is one of the most prestigious individual awards a footballer playing in Europe can ever win. This distinguished accolade is awarded to the best men's player from the previous season, for both club and international competitions.
The award replaced the previously presented 'UEFA Club Footballer of the Year' award in 2011.
The majority of winners of this personal honor have won the UEFA Champions League in the prior season, except for the 2011-12 season. Andres Iniesta made an exception on this list, winning the award without a Champions League medal.
The current holder of the award is Chelsea and Italy midfield metronone Jorginho, while Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award three times, the most by any player.
On that note, let us take a look at the top five players who have won the UEFA Player of the Year Award:
#5 Virgil van Dijk
The only defender on this list, Virgil van Dijk, became the first ever player in his position to win the UEFA Player of the Year award in 2019. After finishing runner-up in the 2018 Champions League final, the Dutchman buried the embarrassment of the previous season, winning the trophy with Liverpool the following year.
Games: 59
Conceded: 40
Duel success: 73.7%
Champions League
OFFICIAL: Virgil Van Dijk has won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award.
๐ Games: 59
๐ซ Conceded: 40
โ Duel success: 73.7%
โ Aeriel succes: 73%
๐ Champions League
๐ฅ Nations league finalist
What an achievement. Best defender in the world. ๐ฏ https://t.co/D3OZr7IrCt
The Merseyside club kept a clean-sheet in the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur, winning by two goals. Van Dijk was awarded the 'Player of the Match' in the game. The former Southampton defender won the Player of the Year award with 305 points, surpassing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who came second and third respectively.
#4 Luka Modric
After winning his third consecutive Champions League with Real Madrid, Luka Modric was awarded the 2017-18 'UEFA Men's Player of the Year' award. The Croatian international was regarded as the best player at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he led his nation to a surprise runner-up finish. He was awarded the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball for his heroics.
Luka Modric is the only player in history to win the Ballon d'Or, FIFA Best, UEFA Men's Player of the Year And World Cup Golden Ball in the same year. ๐
Throwback to his memorable 2017-18 season ๐๐ https://t.co/jHvT18egJk
Modric moreover added 'The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year' and the prestigious Ballon d'Or to his personal tally that season. His 2018 Ballon d'Or triumph ended the decade-long duopoly of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the biggest individual prize in football.