Lionel Messi, the captain of the World Cup-winning Argentina team, has been named the 2023 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner achieved his lifelong dream in Qatar, and as a result, the Argentine great received the nod ahead of Kylian Mbappe, Max Verstappen, and Rafael Nadal.
After helping Argentina win the FIFA World Cup last year, Messi was given the trophy. Messi has the honour of being awarded the Laureus Sportsman of the Year for the second time.
Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina scored a double by being named Sportsman and Team of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards. He is the first athlete to win the team and individual awards in the same year.
The Laureus World Comeback of the Year award went to Christian Eriksen. In 2021, Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during the Euro 2020 game against Finland, having suffered a cardiac arrest.
After winning the award, Messi said, “I’m very happy to be attending this year, especially as it is in the city where I live. I want to be able to enjoy it. It was a very special moment in Qatar. It was the trophy I was missing. It was special for my teammates and the whole country. Football has been a way of life for me. Sport in general unites people with values.”
Messi, 35, is currently at the centre of speculation linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia. But for now, he remains at Paris Saint-Germain, where the prestigious Laureus ceremony is taking place.