Lionel Messi To Battle With Erling Haaland For Laureus World Sports Awards

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, has been nominated for the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards which will take place at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid on April 22.

The organizers of the award announced in Madrid, Spain on Monday, February 26, that Lionel Messi is nominated for the award alongside Jude Bellingham, and Erling Haaland.

Haaland will contend with the 36-year-old Argentine footballer, Messi for the the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award which the Inter Miami star won in 2023.

Also, Novak Djokovic, Mondo Duplantis, Noah Lyles, and Max Verstappen will contend with the reigning Ballon d’Or and World Cup winner for the category of the award.

Recall that Haaland who won the treble – UEFA Champions League, the Premier League, and the FA Cup – with Manchester City last season contended with Lionel Messi for the 2023 Ballon d’Or but lost it to the Argentine.

But the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award is expected to go to Haaland if a footballer happens to win it again this year.

Meanwhile, Manchester City, the European Ryder Cup team, the Springboks South African rugby team, Spain’s women’s football team, Germany’s men’s basketball team, and the Oracle Red Bull Racing team will contend for the Laureus World Team of the Year award.

As for Jude Bellingham, he is expected to win the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year award. But he will face competition from Scottish middle-distance runner Josh Kerr, tennis youngster Coco Gauff, Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang, and 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup youngsters Linda Caicedo and Salma Paralluelo.