Lionel Messi received the ESPY for the Best International Athlete, awarded by ESPN. The Barça striker beat Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, Wimbledon men’s champion Novak Djokovic and golfer Lidya Ko to the award. La Pulga also won the award in 2012. Other sports people on the list of nominees included Usain Bolt, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.
The Argentina international, who was heavily criticised in Argentina for his performance in the final of the Copa América, is currently on holiday and is due to join up with the rest of the Barça squad the first week of August.