“A great man like you leaves me speechless”: Lionel Messi’s response to Rafael Nadal, who praised him and chose him as the best athlete of 2022

It’s the best in the world. But still Lionel Messi he doesn’t seem to get used to flattery. However, while accolades towards him seem to blush, the Argentine 10 didn’t take long to become echo of the statements of Rafael Nadal, to which he replied by saying that the captain of the Argentina national team is the worthy of the award for “best athlete of the year” -for 2022- for which both are named.

The consecrated tennis player had said it this Monday, shortly after the list of figures chosen by the graduate awards to compete for the trophy, which is one of the highest honors awarded in the sports world.

After receiving the news, the Spaniard published a post on his Instagram account where he thanked for the nomination, buthe slowed his Argentine competitor to win it: “It’s an honor to be nominated again for the Laureus Awards for ‘Athlete of the Year’, but this year…“, Nadal wrote in an early publication.

His sentence concluded with a follow-up post he made soon after, completing his sentence: “Come on @leomessi, you deserve it,” he posted without hiding his admiration.

Lionel Messi’s response came shortly after, also through his social networks, where he reposted his colleague’s message thanking him for his words and praising both him and the rest of the ternados.

“That a great athlete like you tell me that leaves me speechless. Thank you so much @rafaelnadal, you deserve everything even for the way you compete every time you hit the court. you are a winner“, wrote the 10th Qatar 2022 world champion, also in an Instagram story.

Then, true to his style and without overshadowing the others, he highlighted the other four athletes who were also vying for the prize: “We still have a lot of competition therehuh? Everyone @laureussport deserves it this year the truth!!!“.

Messi’s statement highlighted the work done by the other athletes considered winners of the record. Among them his teammate from PSG kylian mbappewho is the other player on the list of candidates for the Laureus awards and whom the Albiceleste captain faced in the World Cup final in which France took second place.

In addition to them and Rafael Nadal, who has already revealed who is his favorite to win the award – even at the risk of losing it – the Dutch driver is also a candidate max verstappen, Swedish athlete Armand Duplantis, and the American basketball player Stephen Curry.

Lionel Messi’s nomination

Messi, 35, remained twice consecutive with this award in 2019 and 2020, although on that second occasion it was shared with British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton.

“He inspired Argentina to glory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and continues to raise the bar in football,” claimed the Laureus Academy to justify the choice of Rosario.

The nominees for the Laureus Awards, which have been held since 2000, were determined through a ballot carried out by sports media around the world, although the winners will be chosen by a 71-member judging panel of the world’s greatest sports legends . world.times, and announced during the second quarter of this year.