Lionel Messi has been named the winner of the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award tonight in an inspiring celebration of the best of sport at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards 2023 in Paris.
The greatest spectacle in sport returned live and direct for the first time since 2020, and each of the eight honorees was there to celebrate an extraordinary sporting year. They were joined by sporting legends from the Laureus Academy of World Sport, Laureus Award winners from previous years and some of the world's best athletes in a glittering ceremony at the Pavillon Vendome.
After a year in which the best footballer of his generation has finally added the FIFA World Cup to his list of winners -and won the Ballon d'Or for the best player of the tournament-, Messi has taken the stage twice: to receive the Laureus World Team of the Year Award on behalf of the Argentina men's national soccer team, and to claim his second Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, after sharing that accolade with Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
"It's always nice to receive recognition of this kind, but sport is a team sport and this year I fulfilled the biggest dream I had: winning the World Cup with my team. It cost me a lot, already at the end of my career. I had many joys with Barcelona and a lot of sadness with the national team but I had a lot of stones along the way and it made me improve," said Messi, who has never quoted PSG, his current team.
If Messi can be considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, the Sportswoman of the Year winner is widely recognized as one of the greatest sprinters in history. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's memorable 2022, including gold medaling in the 100m sprint at the World Championships in Athletics, earned her the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award in a celebration of the best in sport that kicked off a sensational sporting year in France, and in Paris in particular.
In the autumn, the Rugby World Cup will be in the spotlight of the sporting world, with the two semi-finals and the final at the nearby Stade de France. In 2024, the same stadium will host the athletics competitions of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Carlos Alcaraz's victory at the 2022 US Open and his rise to world number 1 earned him the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award.
For his part, Christian Eriksen received the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award after recovering from cardiac arrest and returning to play in the Premier League with Brentford and then Manchester United.
The full list of Award Winners:
Laureus World Sportsman 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 Breakthrough 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 Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Eileen Gu
Laureus Sport for Good Award: TeamUp
