Lionel Messi And Rafael Nadal Back Each Other To Win Sportsman Of The Year Award

Soccer icon Lionel Messi and tennis legend Rafael Nadal are both among the contenders to be named Sportsman of the Year at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards.

The other nominees for the prize are FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe, F1 world champion Max Verstappen, NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry and record-breaking pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis.

But Nadal is convinced that Messi is the standout candidate.

Nadal shared a post about the Laureus World Sports Awards on Instagram this week. He added the caption: "Come on @leomessi. You deserve it".

Tennis star Rafael Nadal pictured applauding fans at the 2022 French Open in Paris

IMAGO/Action Plus/Jon Bromley

Messi replied to Nadal: "That an athlete as great as you says that about 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 court.

"You're a winner, maybe we have a lot of competition there, huh? You also deserve the Laureus award this year, really."

Nadal, 36, won two Grand Slam tournaments last year as he came out on top at the Australian Open and then again at the French Open.

Messi, 35, captained Argentina to World Cup glory in late 2022, scoring seven goals and providing three assists during seven games in Qatar.

Lionel Messi pictured kissing the World Cup trophy after captaining Argentina to glory at Qatar 2022

IMAGO/ANP/Maurice van Steen