PSG forward Lionel Messi, track and field athlete Tobi Amusan and the representatives of the top 10 of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Iga Świątek and Elena Rybakina are among the applicants for the prestigious Laureus award.
This prize, which is also called the "sports Oscar", is awarded for the achievements in the field of sports at the end of the year.
Messi, as well as his teammate Kylian Mbappe, car racer Max Verstappen, track and field athlete Armand Duplantis, tennis player Rafael Nadal and basketball player Stephen Curry are nominated in the Sportsman of the Year category.
Track and field athlete Tobi Amusan will compete for the Breakthrough of the Year Award with tennis players Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina, figure skater Nathan Chen and golfer Scottie Scheffler.
In addition to World No. 1 Świątek, the Athlete of the Year category features footballer Alexia Putellas, swimmer Katie Ledecky, skier Mikaela Shiffrin, and track and field athletes Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sydney McLaughlin.