London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Mar 23, 2026

Messi & Argentina World Cup team win Laureus awards

Messi & Argentina World Cup team win Laureus awards

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.

Argentina won the 2022 World Cup by beating France on penalties in the final following a thrilling 3-3 draw

Messi captained Argentina, scored seven times and won the Golden Ball as his country won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in December.

He is the first athlete to win the team and individual awards in the same year.

Sportswoman of the year went to Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

She won the women's 100m world title at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon in July, becoming the first person to win five golds in an individual track event at the championships.

"This is a special honour," said Paris St-Germain forward Messi, 35. "Particularly as the Laureus World Sports Awards are in Paris this year, the city that has welcomed my family since we came here in 2021.

"I want to thank all my team-mates, not only from the national team but also at PSG - I have achieved none of this alone and I am grateful to be able to share everything with them."

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has won 10 outdoor world sprint titles, including relays


Fraser-Pryce's 100m gold came 13 years after her first and the 36-year-old has more world sprint titles than any other athlete.

She ran a sub-10.7-seconds 100m seven times in 2022, three more than the previous best for a female sprinter in a calendar year.

"I was thrilled to be nominated alongside such inspiring women athletes, and to win this award, voted for by some of the greatest sportsmen and women of all time, is just amazing," she said.

"This is the sixth time I've been nominated in this category, so to finally hold the Laureus statuette in my hands is one of the greatest honours of my career."

Argentina lifted the World Cup for the third time, beating France in a penalty shootout in Doha after possibly the greatest final of all time, which ended in a 3-3 draw.

They beat England's Euro 2022-winning Lionesses, men's Champions League winners Real Madrid and France's men's Six Nations champions to win the award.

Manchester United and Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen won Comeback of the Year following his return to football after collapsing on the pitch because of cardiac arrest during Euro 2020, while men's tennis world number two Carlos Alcaraz was awarded World Breakthrough of the Year after a 2022 in which the then 19-year-old won the US Open and became tennis' youngest men's number one.

The award winners were voted for by a selection of sporting greats who make up the members of the Laureus Academy.


Full awards list


* 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 (A programme for children displaced by war by Barcelona and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski)

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Police Investigate Targeted Attack on Jewish Ambulance Vehicles
UK Police Investigate Targeted Attack on Jewish Ambulance Vehicles
Senior UK Advocate Criticises Barnhart Retirement Appointment, Calls for Reconsideration
UK Finds No Evidence of Direct Iranian Threat to Britain, Says Prime Minister Starmer
Assessing Iran’s Strike Capability and the UK’s Readiness Amid Rising Tensions
NATO Unable to Confirm Iran’s Role in Strike on UK-US Base as Tehran Denies Involvement
University of Kentucky’s Youling Xiong Receives SEC Faculty Achievement Award for 2026
Trump Highlights Satirical Portrayal of UK Leadership Amid Talks with Prime Minister Starmer on Iran Conflict
Trump Highlights Satirical Portrayal of UK Leadership Amid Talks with Prime Minister Starmer on Iran Conflict
UK Fuel Prices Surge Toward Crisis Levels as Experts Warn of Further Sharp Increases
UK Fuel Prices Surge Toward Crisis Levels as Experts Warn of Further Sharp Increases
Duchess of Sussex Secures ‘As Ever’ Trademark Rights in Australia Ahead of High-Profile Visit
UK Reaffirms Security as Officials Reject Claims of Immediate Iranian Missile Threat
Rising Middle East Tensions Spark ‘Trumpflation’ Debate Over Impact on UK Households
UK Minister Says No Evidence Iran Can Strike Europe Despite Heightened Warnings
British-Iranians Voice Safety Concerns to Authorities as Regional Conflict Intensifies
Confirmed Meningitis Cases Linked to Kent Outbreak Revised Down to Twenty
UK Government Sees No Evidence Iran Can Strike London Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Debate Grows Over Recognition of Indigenous Cultural Icons in the United Kingdom
Iran Missile Launch Toward Diego Garcia Raises Questions After Failed Strike on US–UK Base
Donald Trump Amplifies Viral Satirical Clip Highlighting UK–US Political Dynamics
UK Satirical Show Draws Attention with Sketch Referencing Trump and Prince Andrew
Meghan Markle’s Possible UK Return Sparks Renewed Attention on Sussex Role
Starmer Convenes Urgent Talks on Cost-of-Living Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Starmer Convenes Urgent Talks on Cost-of-Living Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
UK Investors Eye Bargain Shares Ahead of ISA Deadline Amid Market Volatility
UK Investors Eye Bargain Shares Ahead of ISA Deadline Amid Market Volatility
Northern Lights Expected Over UK Skies Tonight Amid Strong Solar Activity
UK Condemns Iran Missile Strike and Warns Against Threats to British Personnel
UK Warns of Global Flight Disruptions as Iran Conflict Escalates Under Trump’s Leadership
UK Condemns Iran After Missile Strike Targets Strategic Diego Garcia Base
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in UK Reinforces Urgency of Vaccination Campaigns
Iran Launches Long-Range Missile Strike on Remote US-UK Base, Signaling Expanded Reach
Iran Launches Long-Range Missile Strike on Remote US-UK Base, Signaling Expanded Reach
UK Rules Out Cyprus Base Role in Joint US Self-Defence Framework
UK Ends Hereditary Peerage Rights in Parliament in Historic Constitutional Reform
Lord Walney Warns of Expanding Iranian Influence Networks Within the United Kingdom
Iranian National Among Two Arrested After Attempt to Access UK Nuclear Submarine Base
Deregulation, Artificial Intelligence, and Fraud Laws Reshape UK Financial Services Landscape
UK Considers Lower Speed Limits to Reduce Fuel Use Amid Escalating Energy Crisis
UK Borrowing Costs Surge to Post-Crisis High as Markets React to Inflation and War Risks
UK Government Prepares Emergency Economic Measures as Iran Conflict Fuels Financial Risks
Meningitis B Outbreak in the UK Raises Urgent Health Warnings as Cases Surge
Iran Issues Stark Warning to Britain Over US Base Access Amid Expanding Conflict
United Kingdom Authorizes US Strikes from British Bases as Iran Threatens Key Shipping Routes
Reform UK Suspends Scottish Candidate Following Financial Misconduct Allegations
Apple issues an unusual warning: this is how your iPhone can be hacked without you doing anything
UK and Nigeria Reach Agreement to Accelerate Return of Irregular Migrants
UK Sets New Aid Priorities Following Significant Budget Reductions
Cyprus President Urges Open Dialogue Over Future of British Sovereign Base Areas
×