Messi, Nadal among nominees for sportsman of the year

Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to a dream FIFA World Cup title, along with Kylian Mbappe, tennis legend Rafael Nadal, Max Verstappen, NBA champion Steph Curry and pole vault world-record holder Mondo Duplantis were among the nominees announced for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award. The nominees for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award spent 2022 climbing to the very pinnacle of their sport. Messi collected the one prize that had eluded him by leading Argentina to the World Cup while Kylian Mbappe, whose hat-trick in the final earned him the Golden Boot as the World Cup’s leading goalscorer got shortlisted along with Nadal, who ended 2022 alone at the top of the all-time list of men’s Grand Slam champions with 22 titles after victory in Australia and France. Max Verstappen joined Messi and Nadal as past winners of this Award on the 2023 shortlist after defending his Formula One world title. Duplantis broke the pole vault world record on three occasions and won world titles indoors and out. Steph Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a fourth NBA championship in eight years. Formula One world champion and current Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Max Verstappen said: “It’s an honour to be nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. Winning last year was an incredible moment for me: it is such a prestigious accolade, and it means even more when you’re up against the world’s best athletes. To be shortlisted again is an achievement in itself, so thank you to my team Oracle Red Bull Racing for the support throughout our Championship winning year, and thank you to the world’s media for nominating me.” The nominations for the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards for the year 2022 were announced on Monday. The world’s pre-eminent sporting Awards ceremony will celebrate not only athletes who thrilled sports fans over the previous 12 months but several who will end their careers with a claim to be the greatest in the history o