Max Verstappen vs Lionel Messi: Who Will Be the Sportsman of the Year

S In the world of sports, Formula One stands with the planet’s more popular displays of athleticism. From soccer to tennis to motorsports, all the athletes are some of the fittest and most skilled people to take on a discipline. One platform that felicitates such sportsmanship is the Laureus World Sports Awards. The ceremony that has been held for the last 25 years is preparing for its Silver Jubilee to take place in April. And this matters to F1 fans because Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen is up on the nominees list again.

For context, Max Verstappen has already been the winner of the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year category in 2022. But in 2023, Lionel Messi took home the crown. Now this year’s nominees for the category are out. And with it comes a chance for Verstappen fans to celebrate.

Max Verstappen for Laureus World Sportsman of the Year 2024

If you ask anyone in Formula 1 about Max Verstappen‘s performance in 2023, they will go on and on about how he dominated almost every single race all season. With 19 victories in 22 races, Verstappen has gone far and beyond to demotivate every single driver for 2024. And that has brought him to become yet again a nominee for Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.

While it was just 2 years ago that Verstappen received the award, his performance in 2023 has been nothing shy of jaw-dropping. This makes him a strong contender for winning the trophy back from Lionel Messi. The Argentinian soccer player has made an appearance and even won several awards at Laureus, and with the popularity of soccer becoming more prominent across the globe, Messi has bagged a few awards over the years.

But the way the Dutch driver has excelled in the last season, it looks difficult for anyone to outdo that kind of performance. Verstappen earned a podium in almost every single race, with only 2 P2 finishes and one P5 finish, which was still within good points. His performance on the track has become frightening even for the likes of Lewis Hamilton, who did not manage a single victory all season.

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Now that we are talking about Lewis Hamilton, it’s important to note that he is no stranger to Laureus World Sportsman of the Year awards either. Lionel Messi has been his contender for the honor as well, with the two sharing a unique history with the award.

Formula 1 vs Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi has always been in the way of F1 drivers getting the spotlight at the event. In the past, he has been nominated alongside 7 time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Back in 2020, the award function saw an unusual occurrence, with there being a tie in the results from the jury.

Lewis Hamilton and Lionel Messi were announced as the winners of the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year. But as many start to wonder, how can there be two best in the same year? It’s because both the contenders received the same amount of votes from the panel.

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team had a remarkable 2019 season, during which they clinched their sixth consecutive Constructors’ World Championship in Formula One. This level of sustained success in one of the most competitive sports in the world is a testament to the team’s exceptional performance and consistency.

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In the history of the Laureus World Sports Awards, it was the first time that the prestigious award was given to two sporting greats jointly. With that being said, do you think Max Verstappen has outperformed the other nominees in his respective sport to take home the award? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.