Lionel Messi Fails to Equal Novak Djokovic & Tiger Woods’ Record After Laureus Sports Award Disappointment

At last, the 2024 Laureus Sportsman of the Year award winner is announced. Even though all eyes were on Argentine maestro Lionel Messi to defend his previous year’s win, things rather turned out disappointing for him. The World Cup winner not only saw Novak Djokovic lift the 25th edition of this prestigious award at Madrid’s Palacio de Cibeles, but also failed in his attempt to stand on equal footing with Djokovic and golf legend Tiger Woods by winning the award two consecutive times.

Had Messi managed to win this year’s trophy then he would have been his third trophy. Aside from Mr. T, it would have also seen him overtake Rafael Nadal and Michael Schumacher as well, who all won the award twice in their career. However, the opposite transpired, with Djokovic claiming his fifth title. It is the Serbian tennis star who has managed to equal the record of his formidable rival Roger Federer. 

Notably, Messi also missed out on the chance to beat Manchester City star Erling Haaland, who was also nominated for the coveted honor. Having lost the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA The Best award, this time, the Norwegian superstar didn’t lose the race for the individual award against the formidable La Pulga. Instead, both soccer stars joined Max Verstappen, Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis, and USA’s athletics star Noah Lyles in the runners-up list. 

Djokovic also managed to extend tennis’ dominance in the Laureus World Sports Award, with a record 12 wins so far. Be that as it may, this certainly comes out to be a huge blow for Messi. Unfortunately, this is not the only forte where he got outshined. 

Aitana Bonmati also overtook Lionel Messi in a never-achieved feat in the history of soccer

As Aitana Bonmati was crowned the winner of the 2024 Laureus World Sportswoman Award, she accomplished something unprecedented. Her extraordinary year, marked by triumphs such as winning the 2023 FIFA World Cup and Golden Ball for Spain, securing the UEFA Champions League with FC Barcelona, and claiming both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best awards, sets her apart as the first recipient of the Laureus World Award to achieve such a remarkable feat in a single season. Even Lionel Messi falls short of this accolade due to the absence of a Champions League title in his recent achievements. 

The last time the 36-year-old lifted the European trophy was back in 2015. Despite being nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman award the following season, the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner failed to secure the title, with Novak Djokovic clinching his third trophy. While Messi had previously won the award in 2020 and 2023, neither of his victories coincided with his Champions League triumphs. Meanwhile, Bonmati emerged victorious ahead of a distinguished group of athletes, including Shericka Jackson, Faith Kipyegon, Sha’Carri Richardson, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Iga Swigtek. Nevertheless, this proves that it wasn’t Lionel Messi’s year.