Laureus Awards 2023: Lionel Messi Becomes First Footballer to Win Award Twice

Laureus Awards 2023 - Lionel Messi becomes the first footballer to win award twice. 

The most prestigious award for sportsmen across globes was concluded yesterday in Paris and notable athletes were crowned winners. 

The most of all was PSG and Argentina forward Lionel Messi who scoped the award for World's Athlete of the Year and Worlds Sportsman of the Year 2023, while Argentina won the award for World's Team of the Year. This win means Messi has become the first player to win the award twice, doing so, in consecutive years. 

Other notable winners are Jamaican athlete, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who after failing to win it in five nominations, got her hands on the prize this year. 

Fraser-Pryce in 2022, became:

- a 5-time 100m World Champion

- the oldest sprinter to ever win a world title

- won 200m Silver at the Worlds

- won the Diamond League title.

beating Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, tennis player Iga Świątek, swimmer Katie Ledecky and alpine skier Mikaela Shriffin to the award. 

For his effective and miraculous recovery, Manchester United and Denmark midfielder, Cristian Ericksen was awarded the Laureus Comeback of the Year award. 

Tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz was awarded the Laureus Breakthrough Athelte of the Year for his performance at the 2022 US Open, winning his first Grand Slam and becoming the first youngest tennis player to be ranked World Number 1. 

Other awards include:

✓ World Action Sportsperson of the Year - Eileen Gu

✓ World Sportsperson of the Year with Disability - Catherine Debrunner 

✓ Laureus Sport for Good Award Recipient - TeamUp by UNICEF 

Tags: Laureus Awards 2023, Paris, France, Messi, Fraser-Pryce, Argentina.