Lionel Messi, the Argentine football icon, has been nominated in three categories for the ESPY 2023 awards. Due to his remarkable performance throughout the 2022-2023 season, Messi has been nominated for the Best Championship Performance category alongside other sports superstars like Nikola Jokic (NBA), Rose Zhang (LPGA), and Leon Edwards (UFC).
Messi’s second nomination is in the Best Athlete category, where he will be competing with other sports legends like Aaron Judge (Baseball), Patrick Mahomes (NFL), and Nikola Jokic (NBA). The third nomination for Messi is in the Best Soccer Player category, where he will be going head-to-head with Aitana Bonmati (FC Barcelona female player), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), and Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns females FC).
The ESPY awards are handed out by American TV company ABC, and Messi’s stellar season for club and country has seen him bag the three nominations. He was adjudged the best player of the tournament in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which Argentina won. Messi racked up seven goals and three assists at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, proving his worth as a top-class footballer.
Messi has already won the BBC Sport Star of the Year award and the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award. The 35-year-old won the 2022/23 French Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain and had a tally of 16 goals and 16 assists in 32 League appearances. Messi’s nomination in the ESPY 2023 awards is a testament to his incredible skills and dedication to the sport. We wish him the best of luck in all three categories.
