'King' Mbappe or 'out of order' Messi?: PSG duo headlines Laureus World Sport Award nominees

20.02.2023 - 20:15 news24.com

The 2023 Laureus World Sport Award nominees were announced on Monday with Paris Saint-Germain team-mates Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi set to go head-to-head for the biggest gong of them all.Both football superstars last played on opposite ends of the pitch in what has widely been lauded as "the best World Cup final ever", where Messi's Argentina beat Mbappe's France in FIFA's global showpiece in Qatar last year.But in April the PSG duo will again vie for a piece of silverware after they were nominated for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award along with Max Verstappen (Formula 1, Netherlands), Mondo Duplantis (Athletics, Sweden), Rafael Nadal (Tennis, Spain) and Stephen Curry (Basketball, USA). 2023 Laureus World Sport Award nominees: ??

Take a look at the full list of Nominees for the Laureus World Sports Awards 2023. ?? Who should the Laureus World Sports Academy Members select as the final Award winners?#Laureus23 pic.twitter.com/lwWLD2evo8While Messi and Mbappe will be favourites to win the award, legendary Netherlands midfielder and Laureus Sport for Good ambassador Ruud Gullit, believes Curry equally deserves the accolade for winning his fourth NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors. "I think it is both fantastic what they have achieved.

Mbappe, for me, he is the real king as well in that tournament. He scored three goals [in the final]. No nervousness and taking responsibility."Messi of course played the best tournament.

He deserves it as well. We saw two of the best players in the final. It was a dream final for a lot of people. "There was a lot of pressure on them [Argentina] to win it.

soccer Headlines Lionel Messi Max Verstappen Rafael Nadal Kylian Mbappe Ruud Gullit Paris Saint-Germain Sweden Qatar France Netherlands Spain Usa Argentina

Kylian Mbappe scored a last-minute winner for Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday night as the French giants bounced back from their Champions League exit to Bayern Munich with a 2-1 at Brest in Ligue 1.

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Record-breaking Mbappe determined to carry PSG past Bayern

Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Kylian Mbappe celebrates after he scored a goal during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Nantes at The Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on March 4, 2023. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Record-Breaking Mbappe Determined To Carry PSG Past Bayern

Kylian Mbappe heads to Munich fresh from a record-breaking weekend with Paris Saint-Germain and determined to lead the French giants past Bayern and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League. PSG trail 1-0 from the first leg of the heavyweight last-16 tie, after injury reduced Mbappe to a cameo appearance off the bench in that match last month. Yet the 24-year-old France superstar did enough in his short time on the pitch then -- including having a goal disallowed for a marginal offside -- to make it clear that he can swing the tie the Parisians' way.

‘I play to make history,’ says Mbappé as he clocks PSG goal record

The superstar had equalled Edinson Cavani's previous record mark of 200 goals with a brace in last week's win at Marseille and went one better by netting in stoppage time at the Parc des Princes.