The Laureus Award has announced the nominees for the best athlete of 2024 on their social media platforms.
The list includes six nominees from five different sports. Among them are forwards Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland representing Inter Miami and Manchester City respectively, Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing, tennis player Novak Djokovic, track and field star Noah Lyles, and pole vaulter Armand Duplantis.
It's worth noting that Messi has already won the award twice, in 2023 and 2020. In 2020, the Argentine shared the award with British F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.
According to a study conducted by the company SSRS, Messi is the most popular athlete in the United States, becoming the first football player to top the poll. Before that, Michael Jordan was the all-time leader since 1995. Argentina's President Javier Milei called his compatriot the greatest footballer in history and expressed hope for a personal meeting with him.