Nadal backs Messi to win Laureus Sportsman of Year ahead of him

Lionel Messi is being backed to win the Laureus World Sports award – even from one of his fellow nominees for the prestigious gong.

The Argentina and Paris Saint-German superstar is the overwhelming favourite for the Sportsman of the Year title, but he is not short of competition with a host of sporting heroes also in the running, Talk Sport reports.

Of those is tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who is nominated after his French Open and Australia Open wins in 2022 saw him surpass rival and friend Roger Federer as the winner of the most Grand Slams in modern tennis history.

That feat cemented Nadal’s place in tennis history books as one of the greatest ever to play the sport.

But the Spaniard – a huge Real Madrid fan – has insisted Messi deserves the Laureus gong more after finally lifting the only major trophy that was alluding him from his iconic career as he led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar.

Many insist that made him the greatest footballer of all time, and it appears even Nadal agrees.

“It’s an honour to be nominated again for Sportsman of the Year by The Laureus,” the tennis legend and 22-time Grand Slam winner wrote on Instagram.

“But…this year… come on, Leo Messi, you deserve it.”

Kylian Mbappe is also nominated for the men’s award, despite only winning the Ligue 1 title with PSG over the last year.

Amongst the other nominees in that category are Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen after claiming his second straight title, and NBA star Steph Curry for his role in leading the Golden State Warriors to a fourth NBA Championship in eight years.

Golden State are also nominated in the Team of the Year category, along with the men’s Argentina football team and England Lionesses following their European Women’s Championship title.

There are three main contenders for the Sportswoman award – Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser Price who won a record fifth world 100m title last year, American runner Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone who clinched the world 400m title in a world record time and American swimmer Katie Ledecky whose four golds at the World Aquatics championships set a new record.

Golf icon Tiger Woods and Manchester United and Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen are also among the nominees for Comeback of the Year.