Rafael Nadal and Lionel Messi might belong to two different sporting disciplines, but there is no doubt about the fact that both of them are equally great and have revolutionized their respective sporting disciplines. Messi reached the pinnacle of his career after winning the FIFA World Cup that was played in Qatar last year. The Argentina skipper himself has been extremely vocal about how he has accomplished the biggest goal of his career and he is in no mood to retire anytime soon.
On February 20, 2023, Monday, Rafael Nadal and Lionel Messi both were announced as the nominees for the coveted Laureus Sportsman of the Year award for 2023. They were chosen alongside renowned sporting personalities such as French footballer Kylian Mbappe, Dutch Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen, Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, and American basketball player Stephen Curry. The spotlight has now shifted to Rafael Nadal who feels that Lionel Messi deserves the sward more than him for winning the World Cup in his fifth and probably his last attempt.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion took to his Instagram story and 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]
Nadal follows soccer religiously and happens to be a great supporter of the Argentinian team apart from his own country’s team and football club Real Madrid. After Argentina's initial loss to Saudi Arabia in the 2022 edition of the World Cup, Nadal expressed his confidence in Messi and his team.
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Nadal also expressed how he felt after watching Messi lift the World Cup:
Messi lifting the World Cup made me happy. That someone so great culminates with a title that was missing, of this caliber, with all that it means for Argentina
Lionel Messi with the World Cup trophy
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The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony that honours individuals and teams related to various sporting disciplines, The awards support the work of Laureus Sport for Good, which supports over 160 community projects in more than 40 countries
