In 2012, Lionel Messi was named by Sports Illustrated magazine as the Best Soccer Player of All Time, beating out 160 players from across time and space.
Messi beat out the likes of Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Pele. Cristiano Ronaldo had to settle for a distant 21st place.
That year, 2012, Sports illustrated named LeBron James Sportsman of the Year for his triumphs with Miami Heat and the US Olympic Team.
Sports Illustrated has never awarded Sportsman of the Year to an individual soccer player. In fact, of soccer entities, only the 1999 World Cup-winning USWNT has received the honor.
In 2015, Messi is again nominated by SI thanks to four trophies won with Barcelona, which could be five if they win the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan. He was also runner-up in the Cop America with Argentina.
However, Messi could stay empty-handed when Sports Illustrated announces the winner, selected by fans worldwide voting via the internet, because today voting is led by the horse American Pharoah, which won the U.S. Triple Crown, the first time a horse had accomplished that particular feat in 37 years. That is, it scored a hat trick between May and June.
The thoroughbred could stop Messi from bringing in a new individual award.
So far it seems to be the horse is the favorite to be named the SI Sportsman of the Year, but sprinter Usain Bolt and tennis player Novak Djokovic are also looming.
Nobody could have imagined that a horse would bear Messi en route to a prize, however, because of his stature Leo might have been a good jockey and had the opportunity to win a race while riding American Pharoah.
