French star and Argentina playmaker Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, including Alexis Putellas are leading Laureus 2023 Award Nominees.
A global organization that always identifies top sportsmen and women each year for global recognition, Laureus have released the list of its nominees for the 2023 Laureus Awards in different categories.
Laureus Award categories includes Sportsman of the year award, Sportswoman of the Year Award, Sports Team of the Year Award, Comeback of the Year Award, and Breakthrough of the Year Award.
Unsurprisingly, leading the list of sportsman of the year award nominees are two PSG forwards – Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
2023 Laureus Awards: Sportsman of the Year Nominees
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe led France to the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar and also produced a man-of-the-match display against Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina.
Mbappé won the Golden Boot in the tournament, emerging as the highest goal scorer with 8 goals, one goal better than Lionel Messi.
In the final, Kylian Mbappe became the second player in the history of the World Cup to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final after George Heist of England in 1966.
He also towered high in the French Ligue 1, becoming the first French player to finish both as a top scorer and top assist-giver in the 2021/22 season.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi was awarded the best player of the 2022 World Cup after he emerged as one of the greatest players in football history, leading Argentina to their third World Cup trophy and his first in his 18-year-old career.
Despite an underwhelming start to his French Ligue 1 campaign, Lionel Messi brought his class to bear in the 2022 World Cup, powering Argentina to the World Cup final and winning the trophy.
In the football world, Lionel Messi is hailed as the best player in history after his stunning display that made Argentina emerge as World Champions in the 2022 World Cup. He scored seven goals in the tournament.
2023 Laureus Awards: Sportswoman of the Year Award
Alexis Putellas
Alexis Putellas is leading the female nominees for the 2023 Laureus Sportswoman of the year. She became the first female footballer to win the Ballon d’Or two times and led the Barcelona women’s team to 30 La Liga victories in the 2021/22 season.
Putellas bagged 11 goals in UEFA Women’s Champions League and led Barcelona to the final.
She is the only female footballer nominated for the award.
2023 Laureus Awards: Sports Team of the Year Nominees
Argentina Senior Men National Team
Argentina men national team has been nominated for the National Team of the year category. The Albiceleste took the world by storm in the 2022 World Cup.
Despite a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia, Argentina bounced back and won all their games to make it to the final of the tournament.
In the final, Lionel Messi led the Albiceleste to their third World Cup trophy after winning 4-3 on penalties, following a dramatic 3-3 draw after extra time.
England Women’s National Team
Also on the list of national football teams nominated for the award is England women’s national team.
The Lionesses under the tutelage of Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman, and captained by Leah Williamson, emerged as
Champions of UEFA Women’s European Championship.
They defeated Germany 2-1 in a thrilling final – their first major international success.
Beth Mead, who scored six goals and bagged five assists in the tournament, emerged as the highest scorer, winning the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament Award.
Real Madrid Football Club
Also nominated for the 2023 Laureus Football Team of the Year is Real Madrid.
The European giants witnessed one of their best football seasons last year. They won the La Liga, and Champions League, including the Supercopa de Espana.
Karim Benzema proved an integral part of the campaign, netting 44 times in 46 appearances and winning the Ballon d’Or.
Comeback of the Year Nominees
Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen has been nominated for the 2023 Laureus Award for the most dramatic “Comeback of the Year.”
After a heroic spell with Denmark national team, Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest that nearly toppled his football career in 2021.
He was fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and returned to football in January 2022.
After the expiration of his contract at Brentford, Christian Eriksen joined Manchester United as a free agent and has been an integral part of the in-form Manchester United squad before currently sidelined for three months.
Breakthrough of the Year Nominee
Morocco Mens Football Team
Morocco men’s national team made history in the 2022 World Cup, becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals of the World Cup. They eliminated Spain in round 16 and bundled out Portugal in the quarterfinal before losing to France in the semifinal.
