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Lionel Messi has been crowned the Laureus Sportsman of the Year in 2023. The Argentine had a fantastic year in 2022, leading Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory in Qatar.
Apart from Messi, his Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammate Kylian Mbappe, pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, F1 champion Max Verstappen, tennis legend Rafael Nadal, and Basketball superstar Stephen Curry were among other nominees.
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However, Messi's achievements with Argentina proved to be the deciding factor. Apart from leading his country to glory, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has also scored 20 goals and provided 19 assists in 37 matches so far this campaign.
Lionel Messi was at the forefront of Argentina's triumph in Qatar. He played a captain's role, scoring seven goals (including a brace in the final), and providing three assists to be crowned the winner of the Golden Ball award.
Rafael Nadal endorsed Lionel Messi to win the Laureus
Despite being a contender himself, Tennis legend Rafael Nadal claimed that Messi deserved to win the Laureus trophy for guiding his country to FIFA World Cup glory.
The Spaniard, who is a well-known Real Madrid supporter, made the claim by writing a message on his Instagram story. The record Roland Garros champion wrote:
“An honor to be nominated again to the Laureus Sportsman of the Year … but … this year … vamos @leomessi te lo mereces tu [Come on Lionel Messi you deserve it].”
Lionel Messi was moved by Nadal's kind words. The 35-year-old responded to the Spaniard by writing:
"That an athlete as great as you put that on me leaves me speechless... Thank you very much @rafaelnadal, you also deserve everything for the way you compete every time you go out on the pitch. You are a winner, we still have a lot of competition there? Everyone deserves it @laureussport this year the truth!!!"
The share of messages between two of the greatest athletes of the modern era was a moment to savor for the fans. It showed that the spirit and the respect between the athletes are what make fans connect so innately with sports.
