Lionel Messi, a seasoned player for Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain, achieved a rare double on Monday by earning both the individual and team Laureus awards for his accomplishments and those of his World Cup-winning nation.
After a nail-biting penalty shootout victory over France in the World Cup final in Qatar last December, Messi, 35, finally received his first World Cup gold. This achievement earned him an individual honor, and the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner also got the team trophy at a distinguished event in Paris.
The Argentine previously shared the honor with British Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton in 2020 and attended the ceremony with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo.
The accolade saw Messi, who earned a fine and suspension from PSG for making an unauthorised promotional visit to Saudi Arabia, see off competition notably from clubmate Kylian Mbappé, whose World Cup final hat-trick was not enough to earn him glory in Qatar.
Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who last August earned a fifth world 100m crown at Eugene, Oregon, picked up the female athlete award while US Open tennis champion Carlos Alcaraz earned the World Breakthrough of the Year award.
Going back to football, Denmark and Manchester United star Christian Eriksen earned a Comeback Award for returning to the top of the European game after collapsing with cardiac arrest during the Euros two years ago.
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Swiss para-athlete sensation Catherine Debrunner meanwhile picked up the Disability Award after triumphing in her opening two marathons
The Sport for Good Award was presented to TeamUp -– a programme for children displaced by war -– by Barcelona and Poland star Robert Lewandowski.
Meanwhile, Chinese-American Olympic ski freestyle champion Eileen Gu won the World Action Sportsperson accolade.
The awards have been made annually since 2000 by a jury comprising 71 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, representing the past 50 years of athletic excellence.
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