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

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/lwWLD2evo8

While 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. This was the last chance for Messi to win the World Cup and he did. 

"For the legacy of Messi, this is fantastic.