The World Cup Champions captain, Lionel Messi has been awarded the laureus sportsman of the year for the second time in a row.
At the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards organized at Hotel d’Evreux, Paris, France on May 8, 2023, the Paris Saint Germain Striker Lionel Messi won the Sportsman of the year award for the second time after he shared it with Formula one Driver Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
Lionel Messi became the first athlete to sweep both the World Sportsman of the year and World Team of the Year award for the first time. The Argentines Men’s team who won the 2022 World Cup in the victory over France were adjudged the Team of the Year.
In an interview, Messi said “I was looking at the names of the incredible legends that won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award before me: Schumacher, Woods, Nadal, Federer, Bolt, Hamilton, Djokovic… it really sunk in what unbelievable company I’m in and what a unique honour this is,”
The Danes Midfielder, Christian Eriksen who recovered from a Cardiac arrest in the 2021 EUROS, joined Brentford till the end of the previous season and finally signed a three year deal with Manchester United was named The Laureus Come Back of the year.
Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, sprint champion who won the 100m gold at the World Athletics Championship bagged the World Sportswoman of the Year Award.
List of winners:
World Sportsman of the Year Award: Lionel Messi
World Sportswoman of the Year Award: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
World Team of the Year Award: Argentina Men’s Football Team
World Breakthrough of the Year Award: Carlos Alcaraz
World Comeback of the Year Award: Christian Eriksen
World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award: Catherine Debrunner
World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Eileen Gu
Laureus Sport for Good Award: Team up