Lionel Messi fails to beat LeBron James in race to win award in America despite World Cup and FIFA The Best triumphs

Basketball great LeBron James won the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice award in the best male athlete category ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Lionel Messi. Basketball ace Stephen Curry, NFL superstars Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, and snowboarder Shaun White were the other nominees for the award.

Given Lionel Messi's recent achievements, he was the favorite to take home the award. Messi won the Golden Ball as Argentina triumphed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He was also named the FIFA Best Men's Player last week.

LeBron James, however, trumped Messi and won the Nickelodeon award. He has won the honor several times during his legendary career.

Lionel Messi and LeBron James are among the athletes to inspire most fan tattoos

A recent survey from Betsperts revealed that Lionel Messi is the most influential athlete in the world when it comes to inspiring fan tattoos. Messi has inspired almost 10,000 tattoos.

The late great Kobe Bryant is second on the list with 7,260 tattoos. The legendary Diego Maradona, who passed away in 2020, is third with 6,107. Neymar Jr. and Michael Jordan are fourth and fifth with 2,191 and 1,374 respectively.

Messi's eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, and UFC superstar Conor McGregor are sixth, seventh, and eighth on the list.

LeBron James, Pele, David Beckham, and Giannis Antetokounmpo occupy the next four spots on the list.

Lewis Hamilton, Tom Brady, Tyson Fury, Steven Gerrard, Zinedine Zidane, Shaquille O'Neal, Stephen Curry, Max Verstappen, Thierry Henry, James Harden, Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods, and Sir Alex Ferguson are the other sporting personalities that feature on the list.

The presence of Messi and James shows their impact on fans, which transcends far beyond the pitch. Both superstars are legends of their respective sports and inspire fans with their qualities in day-to-day life as well.

Messi is currently playing for French club Paris Saint-Germain. James, on the other hand, represents the LA Lakers in the NBA.