The much-anticipated 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards was held on Monday evening, with the Argentinian mens football captain Lionel Messi crowned as the World Sportsman of the Year, surpassing last year’s winner Max Verstappen and other noteworthy contenders. The Ryan O’Connor Breakfast Show gave Dan Nicholl a call who was in Paris for the awards:
Messi’s historic double at Laureus Awards caps off incredible year for Argentina
Messi’s recent triumph marks a historic milestone, as he becomes the only footballer in history to win the Laureus Awards twice, having previously won the Sportsman of the Year award in 2020.
The Argentine football sensation clinched the title for his exceptional contributions on the field throughout the past year, leading Argentina to their triumph in the FIFA World Cup, with the football team emerging as the triumphant winners of the World Team of the Year category. They competed against the England women’s football team, France men’s rugby team, the Golden State Warriors, Real Madrid men’s football team, and F1’s Red Bull.
The World Sportswoman of the Year award went to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won her record fifth 100m gold at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, 13 years after her first win. With more world sprint titles than any other athlete, Fraser-Pryce ran sub-10.7 for 100m seven times in 2022, three more than the previous best for a female sprinter in a calendar year.
All award winners are as follows:
- Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year Award: Lionel Messi
- Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
- Laureus World Team of the Year Award: Argentina Men’s Football Team
- Laureus World Newcomer of the Year Award: Carlos Alcaraz
- Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award: Christian Eriksen
- Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award: Catherine Debrunner
- Laureus World Laureus Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Eileen Gu
The nominees are handpicked by the world’s media, and the laureates are elected through a voting process by the esteemed 71 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, consisting of legendary figures from the past 50 years of athletic excellence.
The ceremony is a tribute to the driving force behind everything Laureus stands for, which was first articulated by Nelson Mandela, the organization’s first patron. Mandela stated:
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.”
The celebration is a testament to this mission and the enduring spirit of sportsmanship that Laureus seeks to foster.
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