Lionel Messi receives the Laureus Sports Award, but which athlete has received the most awards overall?
The Argentine superstar received the honour twice when Lionel Messi was voted Sportsman of the Year by the Laureus World Sports Award in Paris on Sunday.
In 2020, Messi and Lewis Hamilton shared the prize, but this time, the Paris Saint-Germain front won it all for leading Argentina to World Cup victory the previous year.
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In addition to receiving the Golden Ball as the competition’s best player and the Laureus award for Team of the Year on Monday on behalf of the victorious Argentina team, Messi, 35, won the World Cup for the first time in his illustrious career in Qatar.
Regarded by many as the greatest footballer in history, Messi joined a select group of athletes to win a Laureus World Sports Award more than once.
But how does the Argentine stack up against the most decorated Laureus Award recipients?
Most Laureus World Sports Award
Roger Federer – 5 (2005–2008, 2018)
Serena Williams – 4 (2003, 2010, 2016, 2018)
Usain Bolt – 4 (2009–2010, 2013, 2017)
Novak Djokovic – 4 (2012, 2015–2016, 2019)
Simone Biles – 3 (2017, 2019-2020)
Tiger Woods – 2 (2000–2001)
Yelena Isinbayeva – 2 (2007, 2009)
Michael Schumacher – 2 (2002, 2004)
Rafael Nadal – 2 (2011, 2021)
Lionel Messi – 2 (2020, 2023)
Tennis superstar Roger Federer leads the way as the only five-time winner of the Laureus World Sports Award. The Swiss great won four in a row between 2005 and 2008 during the height of his dominance, before claiming the award again in 2018 when he sealed his comeback from injury by winning the Australian Open.
Fellow tennis greats Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic are one award back with four apiece, while track and field legend Usain Bolt is also on four following his Olympic and World Championship heroics.
Gymnastics star Simone Bile is the only athlete on three awards. Messi joins four others on two: golf great Tiger Woods, Formula One legend Michael Schumacher, track and field great Yelena Isinbayeva, and tennis star Rafael Nadal.
Remarkably, Messi’s great rival Cristiano Ronaldo has never won the award, despite being nominated five times.
Messi was a two-time winner at the 2023 ceremony after Argentina were named team of the year for their Qatar World Cup triumph.
Laureus World Sports Award 2023 winners
Sportsman of the Year – Lionel Messi (football)
Sportswoman of the Year – Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce (athletics)
Team of the Year – Argentina (football)
Breakthrough of the Year – Carlos Alcaraz (tennis)
Comeback of the Year – Christian Eriksen (football)
Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability – Catherin Debrunner (para athletics)
Action Sportsperson of the Year – Eileen Gu (freestyle skiing)
Sport for Good – Teamup
