‘You deserve it’: Rafael Nadal endorses Lionel Messi to win Laureus Award

Rafael Nadal picks Lionel Messi over Stephen Curry and Kylian Mbappe to win the award.

Rafael Nadal has endorsed Lionel Messi to win the Laureus World Sports Awards. Along with him, Lionel Messi, Stephen Curry, Kylian Mbappe, Max Verstappen, and Mondo Duplantis.

Nadal on his Instagram story, has posted: “An honor to be nominated again to the Laureus Sportsman of the year… but… this year… let’s go Messi, you deserve it.”

In 2021, Messi lauded Nadal when he won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award back in 2021.

“I would like to say that you are an example for everyone because of your hard work, your perseverance and for being at the highest level for so many years,” Messi said in a video message.

Previously, Nadal has said that he was supporting Argentina and Lionel Messi to win the FIFA World Cup and how he was in tears after watching Messi lifting the World Cup.

“Without supporting Argentina, when Messi lifted the trophy I was moved to tears. For the emotion of seeing someone so great achieve what he missed after suffering so much for it,” he said.

Asked about his retirement plans back in January, Nadal referenced seven-time Ballon d’Or Messi and suggested he will leave a huge void in the sporting world.

“People who like sports don’t like it when someone they admire retires. You don’t want Messi or Tiger Woods to retire. I like to see them on TV and I would like to continue watching them,” Nadal had said.