Record-breaking athletes vie for Laureus World Sports Awards 2026 glory

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Record breakers, gold medal winners and future superstars will stake their claim for ‘The Laureus’ statuette – globally recognised as the gold standard for sporting excellence.

The award winners will be decided by the ultimate sporting jury – the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy – and announced at a gala event held at the Cibeles Palace in Madrid.

The 1,300 members of the Laureus Global Media Panel have selected six outstanding athletes in each of six categories, while members of the International Paralympic Committee have chosen the nominees for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award.

The result is a celebration of the very best athletes of the past year – an unrivalled roster of greatness from across sport competing now with each other for the one goal they all share.

In addition, the Laureus Sport for Good Award will recognise a community-sports programme from a shortlist selected by a specialist panel, celebrating their impact in improving the lives of young people through sport.

Here are the nominees

Laureus World Spotrsman of the Year

• Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) Tennis – won the French Open and US Open, ending 2025 as the year-end World No.1
  
• Ousmane Dembélé (France) Football – top goalscorer as Paris Saint-Germain won six titles in 2025, and winner of the Ballon d’Or and The Best Fifa awards
  
• Mondo Duplantis (Sweden) Athletics – won third consecutive outdoor world championship and set four new world records, whilst going undefeated in 2025
  
• Marc Márquez (Spain) Motor Cycling – the 2025 MotoGP World Champion, winning 11 Grand Prix races across 17 starts
  
• Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) Cycling – won a third yellow jersey at the 2025 Tour de France, claiming four stage wins
  
• Jannik Sinner (Italy) Tennis – winner of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, alongside the ATP Tour Finals title and the Paris Masters

Laureus World Spotrswoman of the Year

• Aitana Bonmatí (Spain) Football – claimed a third-consecutive Ballon d’Or after winning the domestic treble with FC Barcelona and reaching the Champions League and European Championship finals
  
• Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) Athletics – became only the second woman to win the World Championships Triple Crown – the 100m, 200m and 4x100m
  
• Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) Athletics – won a fourth World Championships gold medal in the 1500m final: the first woman to achieve the feat
  
• Katie Ledecky (USA) Swimming – won two gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships, taking her total World Championship medal count to 30
  
• Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) Athletics – broke the World Championships 400m record, whilst winning gold with Team USA in the 4x400m relay
  
• Aryna Sabalenka Tennis – year-end World No.1 for the second-consecutive year, after reaching three Grand Slam finals and winning the US Open

Laureus World Team of the Year

• England Women’s Football Team– defended their European Championship title with a penalty shoot-out victory over reigning world champions, Spain
  
• European Ryder Cup Team Golf – claimed a 16th Ryder Cup title after a 15-13 win: Europe’s first away win since 2012
  
• India Women's Cricket Team – won a maiden World Cup title, after recording the highest successful run chase in women’s ODI history in a semi-final win against Australia
  
• McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team (UK) Motor Racing – won their 10th World Constructors’ Championship with six races to spare
  
• Oklahoma City Thunder (USA) Basketball – equalled the 1996/97 Chicago Bulls team for most NBA season wins en route to winning their first NBA championship
  
• Paris Saint-Germain (France) Football – won a first UEFA Champions League title, defeating Inter Milan 5-0 and a historic six titles across the calendar year

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year

• Désiré Doué (France) Football – scored twice for Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final and finished second in voting for the 2025 FIFA Kopa Trophy
  
• João Fonseca (Brazil) Tennis – debuted at all four Grand Slam tournaments, reaching the third round of the French Open and Wimbledon
  
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) Basketball – became the fourth player in basketball history to win the NBA regular season MVP, Finals MVP and scoring champion in the same season
  
• Luke Littler (UK) Darts – became the youngest-ever PDC World Darts champion, completing the career Triple Crown
  
• Lando Norris (UK) Motor Racing – won a maiden Formula One World Drivers’ Championship title at the final race of the season
  
• Yu Zidi (China) Swimming – the youngest-ever World Aquatics Championships medallist at only 12-years-old

Laureus World Comeback of the Year

• Amanda Anisimova (USA) Tennis – reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals, two years after stepping away from tennis to prioritise her mental health
  
• Egan Bernal (Colombia) Cycling – won a first Grand Tour stage since a near-fatal crash in 2022
  
• Rory McIlroy (UK) Golf – won a first Masters title, ending an 11-year wait for another Major win, and completed the Career Grand Slam
  
• Yulimar Rojas (Venezuela) Athletics – returned to the global stage at the World Athletics Championship, winning bronze after a two-year absence due to an Achilles injury
  
• Leah Williamson (UK) Football – won the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the European Championships, one year after returning to football following an ACL injury
  
• Simon Yates (UK) Cycling – won the 2025 Giro d’Italia, seven years after losing a 38-minute lead in 2018

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year

• Yago Dora (Brazil) Surfing – won a first WSL World Championship title and secured the WSL World No.1 seed
  
• Kilian Jornet (Spain) Ultra Running – summitted all 72 of the 14,000-feet peaks in the USA over the course of just 31 days
  
• Chloe Kim (USA) Snowboarding – became the most decorated woman in X Games history with an eighth gold medal in Superpipe
  
• Rayssa Leal (Brazil) Skateboarding – won Street gold at the SLS Super Crown World Championships, her fourth consecutive title
  
• Molly Picklum (Australia) Surfing – won a first World Surf League championship after defeating 2023 champion, Caroline Marks, in a best of three match
  
• Tom Pidcock (UK) Cycling – won the European XCO title as well as a first Grand Tour podium at the Vuelta a España

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability

• Gabriel Araújo (Brazil) Para Swimming – won three gold medals at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships whilst breaking the world record in 150m individual medley
  
• Simone Barlaam (Italy) Para Swimming – four golds at the World Aquatics Championships took his career tally to 23
  
• Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) Para Athletics – won five gold medals at the World Para Athletics Championships, setting a championship record in 1500m T54
  
• Kelsey DiClaudio (USA) Para Ice Hockey – finished the World Championship as MVP and leading scorer
  
• David Kratochvíl (Czech Republic) Para Swimming – won four gold, two bronze and a silver medal at the World Para Swimming Championships
  
• Kiara Rodríguez (Ecuador) Para Athletics – won three gold medals and set the Women’s Long Jump T47 championship record at the World Championships

Laureus Sport for Good shortlist

• A.S.D Gruppo Sportivo Valanga (Italy) Multi-sport x Employability – offers educational opportunities through a combination of sports workshops and sports psychology
  
• Fútbol Mas (Global) Football x Wellbeing – promotes inclusivity, teamwork and respect through football tournaments
  
• Kings County Tennis League (USA) Tennis x Inclusion – breaks down economic barriers preventing local youth from accessing tennis
  
• MindLeaps (Global) Dance x Employability – develops cognitive skills through an innovative programme of dance classes and academic tuition
  
• Rugby For Good (Hong Kong, China) Rugby x Inclusion – champions social and gender equity for children with ADHD
  
• Transformación Social TRASO (Mexico) Martial Arts x Wellbeing – offers twice-weekly boxing and martial arts classes alongside professionally-led group therapy

For more information and a full list of nominees, view here.