In Madrid, the 2024 Laureus World Sports Breakthrough of the Year award went to England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham. He moved from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in an £89m deal last summer and has quickly become a vital part of the team. His impressive performance includes scoring the winning goal against Barcelona in El Clasico and netting 17 goals in La Liga this season.
Novak Djokovic won the men’s equivalent of the award for tennis player for his fifth time. Spanish and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati took home the women’s equivalent of the award. She was a member of Spain’s team that won the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which she expressed great pride in when accepting her award. She also highlighted the importance of equality and representation in football.
The Laureus awards ceremony in Madrid recognized many other outstanding athletes, including Simone Biles as Comeback of the Year, Diede de Groot as Sportsperson with a disability, and Arisa Trew as Action sportsperson of the Year. Fundacion Rafa Nadal received recognition for its contributions to using sports for positive impact with Sport for Good award.
