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After winning the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, World Cup Golden Ball, Trophée des Champions among other titles in 2022-23, Argentina star Lionel Messi is set to contest for another trophy as he has been nominated for the Laureus Award alongside some of the world's greatest sportspersons.

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While the 35-year-old Messi stand a chance to win his record-eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023, the PSG superstar has been nominated for the  Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award. His PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Tennis star Rafael Nadal, F1 world champion Max Verstappen and Pole Vault world-record holder Mondo Duplantis are the other nominations for the award.

Meanwhile, Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas, who won her second Ballon d'Or award in 2022, and World No.1 tennis player Iga Swiatek among others are nominated in the Sportswoman of the Year category. Real Madrid and Argentina national football team are included in the World Team of the Year nominations.

Check the full list of nominees by category

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

  • Stephen Curry (USA) Basketball - led Golden State Warriors to fourth NBA championship in eight years
  • Mondo Duplantis (Sweden) Athletics - three world records, two world titles in a dominating 2022
  • Kylian Mbappé (France) Football - World Cup Golden Boot, Ligue 1 leader in goals and assists
  • Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football - Argentina captain at the World Cup; Ballon d'Or for best player
  • Rafael Nadal (Spain) Tennis - Won two Grand Slams in 2022 and reached a career-high 22 wins.
  • Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Motorsport - Defended the Formula 1 World Championship in 2022.

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

  • Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) Athletics: won her record fifth 100m World Championships title.
  • Katie Ledecky (USA) Swimming: four golds at the World Swimming Championships, a new record.
  • Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) Athletics: Breaking the 400m hurdles world record.
  • Alexia Putellas (Spain) Football: second Ballon d'Or, captain of Barcelona in a flawless league.
  • Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) Alpine skiing: retained her World Cup title.
  • Iga Swiatek (Poland) Tennis - won in France and the USA to become world No. 1

Laureus World Team of the Year

  • Argentina national football team: world champions after a thrilling final against France.
  • England Women's Football Team - European Championship victory in front of a packed stadium.
  • France men's rugby team: 12 years of waiting to win the Six Nations title with a Grand Slam.
  • Golden State Warriors (USA) Basketball - NBA champions for the fourth time in eight years.
  • Oracle Red Bull Racing (Austria) - beat Mercedes after eight years to become constructors' champions.
  • Real Madrid (Spain) Football - La Liga and Champions League double for the Spanish giants to become world number one.

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year

  • Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) Tennis - won his first Grand Slam title in New York and became world No. 1.
  • Tobi Amusan (Nigeria) Athletics - world champion and new world record in the 100m hurdles.
  • Nathan Chen (USA) Figure skating: Olympic gold and world record in the short programme.
  • Morocco men's national football team: First African country to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.
  • Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) Tennis - won Wimbledon as the 17th seed, her first Grand Slam title.
  • Scottie Scheffler (USA) Golf - winner at Augusta and runner-up at the U.S. Open

Laureus World Comeback of the Year

  • Francesco Bagnaia (Italy) Motorcycling: came back from a 91-point deficit to become MotoGP champion.
  • Christian Eriksen (Denmark) Football: Returned to the Premier League after suffering a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020.
  • Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) Athletics: Recovered from a shock defeat in the 1500m to win the 5000m world title.
  • Klay Thompson (USA) Basketball: NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors after 30 months out of action.
  • Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) Cycling: Overcame illness to win the women's Tour de France.
  • Tiger Woods (USA) Golf: Made the cut again at the Masters after a career-threatening car accident.

Laureus World Sportsperson With a Disability Award

  • Diede de Groot (Netherlands) Wheelchair tennis - completed her second Grand Slam of the calendar year.
  • Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) For Athletics - four world records in three days of competition on the track in her home country
  • Declan Farmer (USA) For Ice Hockey - third Paralympic gold with USA and top scorer of the tournament
  • Cameron Leslie (New Zealand) For Swimming and Wheelchair Rugby - gold in the pool after a two-year absence
  • Oksana Masters (USA) For Cross-Country Skiing - double gold in biathlon at the Paralympic Winter Games
  • Jesper Saltvik Pedersen (Norway) Para Alpine Skiing - four golds on the slopes of China

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year

  • Justine Dupont (France) Big Wave Surfing: in 2022 the search for high risk giant waves continued.
  • Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) Surfing: Eighth world title for the Australian Hall of Famer.
  • Eileen Gu (China) Freestyle skiing: Double gold - in big air and halfpipe - for the teenage sensation.
  • Chloe Kim (USA) Snowboarding - defending her Olympic title in halfpipe.
  • Rayssa Leal (Brazil) Skating - gold in the Street event at both the Summer X Games and World Championships.
  • Filipe Toledo (Brazil) Surfing: First world title for the Brazilian high surfer.

Laureus Sport for Good Award

  • Boxgirls (Kenya) Boxing: empowering young women and fighting stereotypes.
  • High Five (Germany) Action sports: helping migrant children and orphans integrate into new communities.
  • Made For More (South Africa) Multisport: making sport inclusive for people with disabilities.
  • Slum Soccer (India) Football: supporting homeless youth through sport and education.
  • TeamUp Movement (global) - refugee children relieve stress through physical activity, supported by War Child, UNICEF and Save the Children.

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