“How tf did Messi make it over him?” – Fans feel 27-year-old star should have been nominated ahead of Lionel Messi for UEFA Men’s POTY award

UEFA have released their nominees for the Men's Player of the Year award and fans are questioning Lionel Messi being selected over Rodri.

The Argentine icon is nominated for the award alongside Manchester City's treble-winning heroes Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. The duo played a huge role in helping Pep Guardiola's side win their first UEFA Champions League trophy.

However, Rodri was the star of the show at the Ataturk Stadium in the final against Inter Milan. His winner sent City on their way to a 1-0 victory and their first European title.

The Spanish midfielder stood out for Guardiola's Cityzens throughout the 2022-23 campaign. He featured 56 times across competitions, scoring four goals and providing seven assists.

Many are backing Rodri as the best defensive midfielder in world football and with good reason. His displays for City last season were heroic and he was even a threat going forward.

However, UEFA have instead nominated Lionel Messi for the award after yet another superb season for the legendary forward. The 36-year-old bagged 30 goals and 21 assists in 47 matches across competitions for Paris Saint-Germain. He was part of the Parisians side that won the Ligue 1 title before heading out of Europe to join MLS side Inter Miami earlier this summer.

Messi's final season at the Parc des Princes was a topsy-turvy one despite his sensational performance. His PSG side crashed out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 to Bayern Munich.

Hence, some fans are questioning UEFA's decision not to acknowledge Rodri's European heroics last season. One fan is stunned Messi was chosen over the Spaniard:

Here's how fans reacted on Instagram to Lionel Messi earning a spot in UEFA Men's Player of the Year nominations