Novak Djokovic’s old comment about Lionel Messi resurfaces after he beats Inter Miami star to win 2024 Laureus World Sportsman award

Novak Djokovic's old words on Lionel Messi have resurfaced after the Serbian won the 2024 Laureus Sportsman of the Year award.

Djokovic follows the Argentina captain as the winner of the prestigious award, as Messi won the same in 2023. The duo met in August last year, following Messi's move to MLS side Inter Miami.

After that interaction, Djokovic had some words of high praise for the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner (via All About Argentina on X):

"It's a second time we met with each other. We talked 15 minutes about everything, I would like to meet him and talk about everything again. Messi is a phenomenon. He's a huge champion, I have huge respect for him."

Novak Djokovic had a spectacular 2023, winning three Grand Slam titles. He's the record-holder for Grand Slam singles titles (24) in the history of men's tennis, ahead of Rafael Nadal (22) and Roger Federer (20).

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, is also going strong in the MLS. He has been in great form for Inter Miami this season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in nine games across competitions.

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How many Laureus awards do Novak Djokovic and Lionel Messi have?

Novak Djokovic has won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award five times in his illustrious career. The Serbian superstar has previously won the accolade in 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2019.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, has won the award twice, in 2020 (jointly with Lewis Hamilton) and in 2023. He is the only player to win the award twice in a team sport.

Messi was unable to keep the crown he won in Paris last year, as Djokovic is the new holder of the accolade and was celebrated by those present at the ceremony in Madrid.

Nevertheless, both superstars are phenoms in their respective fields and garner respect from fans across the globe.