Jude Bellingham, the English and Real Madrid midfielder, has been awarded the 2024 Laureus World Sports Breakthrough of the Year. At just 20 years old, Bellingham has become a significant contributor to Real Madrid since his £89m transfer from Borussia Dortmund last summer. One of his notable contributions was scoring the winning goal against Barcelona in El Clasico, bringing his total La Liga goals to 17 this season.
Meanwhile, tennis player Novak Djokovic received the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award for the fifth time. On the women’s side, Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati was recognized for her outstanding performance in leading Spain to victory in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Bonmati was proud to be the first female footballer to receive this award and emphasized the importance of gender equality and representation in sports.
Other notable winners at the Laureus ceremony included Simone Biles for Comeback of the Year, Diede de Groot for Sportsperson of the Year with a disability, and Arisa Trew for Action sportsperson of the year. The Sport for Good award went to Fundación Rafa Nadal for their efforts in using sports for positive social impact.