UEFA awards finalists 2022: Ballon d’Or favorite Karim Benzema among potential Player of the Year winners

Prior to the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage draw, European governing body UEFA will announce the winners of the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards for the previous season.

Last year, Chelsea’s Jorginho won UEFA’s men’s Player of the Year award for 2020/21, while Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas won the award on the women’s side.

This year, it’s believed that Karim Benzema is the frontrunner for the men’s award, bringing him one step closer to his expected triumph in the prestigious Ballon d’Or on Oct. 17.  The Real Madrid forward was incredible last season, scoring 42 goals between La Liga and the Champions League, leading his club to a famous double.

In past years, UEFA has also presented individual position-specific awards, with the Best Goalkeeper, Best Defender, Best Midfielder, and Best Forward recognized. However, UEFA confirmed to The Sporting News that those awards have been scrapped. It is not immediately clear whether those awards have been eliminated permanently or just for this season.

The Sporting News brings you all the information ahead of the awards ceremony during the lead-up to the Champions League group stage draw on Thursday, August 25. When the awards are announced, this post will update to reflect the winners.

MORE: What teams are in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League?

UEFA Player of the Year award 2021/22

There are three nominees for the men’s and women’s Player of the Year honors.

UEFA Men’s Player of the Year nominees

Recent UEFA Player of the Year winners (men)

UEFA Women’s Player of the Year nominees

Recent Player of the Year winners (women)

UEFA Coach of the Year award 2021/22

Men’s Coach of the Year nominees

Recent winners:

The Men’s Coach of the Year award was previously known as the European Football Coach of the Season award, which ceased to exist in 2016. The award was revived in 2020 for the UEFA Best Of awards.

Women’s Coach of the Year nominees

Recent winners:

UEFA Goal of the Year award 2021/22

UEFA has a technical committee that picks the 10 best goals of the season across all UEFA league and cup competitions.

Once the 10-goal shortlist is created, UEFA’s Goal of the Year award is then split into two awards. One is selected by the technical committee, while another is voted on by the fans.

2021/22 Best Goal Nominees (watch the goals here)

Technical Observers Goal of the Year: Karim Benzema 1st goal vs. Chelsea , Apr. 6, 2022

Karim Benzema’s hat-trick against Chelsea in the Champions League semifinal helped set the stage for Real Madrid’s charge to the title.

The 3-1 first-leg victory, inspired by Benzema’s hat-trick, saw Madrid return home to seal the deal and secure a place in the final.

Benzema’s first was the best of the bunch, a header from just beyond the penalty spot that left goalkeeper Edouard Mendy no chance. The delivery from Vinicius Jr was just slightly behind the French striker, but Benzema managed to contort his body perfectly to deliver a long-distance headed strike.

Fans Goal of the Year: Thiago, Liverpool vs. Porto, Nov. 24, 2021

Thiago’s low driven strike in the 2-0 win over Porto in the Champions League group stage won the fan vote for best goal of the 2021/22 season.

Recent winners (watch past Goal of the Year winners here):

Note: The UEFA Fans Goal of the Year award was not awarded in 2019/20 due to COVID-19.

UEFA President’s Award

The UEFA President’s Award is handed out to recognise achievement, personality, and other qualities throughout European football.

As per the official UEFA award description, the President’s Award is given to those with “outstanding achievements that transcend the sport.”

“The UEFA President’s Award recognises professional excellence and exemplary personal qualities, on and off-the-field.”

Last season, Denmark national team captain Simon Kjaer received the award, along with the pitch-side medical team during Denmark’s opening match in Euro 2020 at Copenhagen Stadium. They were recognised for their actions in saving the life of Christian Eriksen, who collapsed during the match and was revived on the pitch.

This year, the award will be presented to Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi, who led AC Milan to the 1987/88 Serie A title as well as back-to-back European championships in 1989 and 1990.

“While Sacchi never played top-flight football, he was always an exemplary student of the game,” UEFA president Alexander Ceferin said in the official UEFA release read.

“Sacchi reinvented the ethos of teamwork, which transcended to pure harmony on the pitch. Perfect synchronisation and a winning mindset, irrespective of whether they were playing at home or away, felt almost supernatural back in the 1980s. That is precisely what divides excellence from greatness.”

Previous winners of the UEFA President’s Award

*The award was not presented in 1999, 2015, or 2016