Lionel Messi has been voted the World Sportsman of the Year by Laureus.
The Argentina superstar was given the nod ahead of Kylian Mbappe, Max Verstappen and Rafael Nadal after the the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner realised his ultimate ambition in Qatar.
He lifted the World Cup for his country after playing a leading role as he joined the late Diego Maradona in dominating the globe’s leading international tournament late last year.
Messi, 35, is currently at the centre of speculation linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia. But for now, he remains at Paris Saint-Germain - where the prestigious Laureus ceremony was taking place.
He said: “I’m very happy to be attending this year - especially as it is in the city where I live.
“I want to be able to enjoy it. It was a very special moment in Qatar. It was the trophy I was missing. It was special also for my team-mates and the whole country.
“Football has been a way of life for me. Sport in general unites people with values.”
Having secured the gong, Messi was quick to recognise those around him that have helped the Argentine win such a prestigious award.
"I want to thank all my teammates, not only from the national team but also at PSG – I have achieved none of this alone and I am grateful to be able to share everything with them," he explained.
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“I want to thank the Laureus Academy – what makes these Awards so special to us as athletes is the fact that they are voted for by these incredible champions, my heroes, and this puts my sporting achievements in true context.
“This is the first time I have been the sole winner of the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award and after a year when we finally won another prize we had been chasing for a long time, at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, it’s an honour to be able to hold this Laureus Statuette.
“I was looking at the names of the incredible legends that won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award before me: Schumacher, Woods, Nadal, Federer, Bolt, Hamilton, Djokovic… it really sunk in what unbelievable company I’m in and what a unique honour this is."
Meanwhile, Messi has returned to training with Paris St Germain following his suspension over an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Ligue 1 club confirmed on their official Twitter account on Monday morning that the 35-year-old Argentina international was back among the fold after he was fined and suspended for undertaking a promotional visit to the Middle East country without permission.
The post, which was accompanied by a photograph of the World Cup winner in training kit, said simply: “Leo Messi back in training this Monday morning.”
Messi, who is an ambassador for the Saudi Tourism Authority, was pictured in Riyadh the day after his side had suffered a surprise defeat to Lorient.
He later revealed in a video posted on his official Instagram account that he had to make the trip for contractual reasons, having previously cancelled it, and had assumed he had a day off.
