Messi is nominated for Laureus!Fans: He doesn't deserve the award, shame on him!

When the 2024 Laureus Sports Awards announced the nominees for Sportsman of the Year, the eyes of sports fans around the world were once again focused on the coveted accolade. However, in this list of nominations that includes six sports superstars, including Messi, Haaland, Djokovic, Verstappen, Duplantis, and Lyles, Messi's entry has caused widespread and fierce controversy.

Messi led the Argentine national team to the long-awaited World Cup title in 2022 and achieved the highest honor in football. However, since then, Messi has gradually moved away from Europe's top five leagues and switched to Major League Soccer, a shift that has also made his competitive status and influence questioned by some fans.

It is this background that makes Messi's nomination for Laureus Male Athlete of the Year particularly eye-catching. Some fans believe that Messi, despite his brilliant achievements in the past, has not performed well enough to compete with other nominees for more than a year, and his inclusion is an injustice to other elite athletes. They even bluntly stated: "Messi's shortlisting is a shame!"

Perhaps, Messi's nomination is a tribute to his place in football history, but others feel that more consideration should be given to the actual performance of the athletes in that year. For example, Haaland's outstanding performances in the Premier League, Novak Djokovic's back-to-back victories in tennis, and Verstappen's dominance in F1 seem to have been even more prominent.

In addition, it has been argued that the Laureus Sports Awards should focus more on the social impact and role model of athletes. Messi has not only achieved brilliant achievements on the pitch, he has also actively participated in philanthropic causes and contributed to society. However, Messi missed the game during the trip to Hong Kong, which made many domestic fans disappointed with him. Of course, Laureus Sports' awards seem to look at an athlete more holistically, so the negative press of the trip to Hong Kong doesn't seem to have had much impact on Messi!

Controversy is controversy, and Messi's entry undoubtedly reflects the selection committee's consideration of the overall contribution of athletes. When evaluating an athlete's greatness, we should not only look at his competitive form back then, but also look at his long-term impact on the sport. Messi's footballing talent, professionalism and contribution to society are all strong supports for him to be a candidate for the Laureus Sports Awards.