Argentine maestro Lionel Messi has been awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year 2023.
The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony that honors individual players and teams from the world of sports for their sporting achievements throughout the year.
The former Barcelona superstar edged out the likes of Max Verstappen and Kylian Mbappe to win this year’s Laureus Sportsman of the Year award at a glitzy ceremony in Paris on Monday evening, May 8.
Messi won the award after leading Argentina to a famous triumph at the FIFA World Cup last year.
This was the second time that Messi had won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award. He had previously shared the award with Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
The honor has been awarded since 2000. Legendary sportspersons like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Michael Schumacher, and Usain Bolt, among others, have all won the award since its inception.