Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham has been named the 2024 Laureus World Sports Breakthrough of the Year. Since moving from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in an £89m deal last summer, Bellingham has quickly become a crucial member of the team. His impressive performance includes scoring the winning goal against Barcelona in El Clasico and netting 17 goals in La Liga this season.
Meanwhile, tennis player Novak Djokovic won the men’s equivalent of the award for the fifth time. Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati took home the women’s equivalent of the award after being part of the Spain team that won the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Bonmati highlighted the importance of equality and representation in football, saying “I am incredibly proud to have won this award, but it is also a reminder that we need to continue fighting for equal opportunities and representation for all athletes.”
The Laureus awards ceremony in Madrid also recognized other outstanding athletes, including Simone Biles in the Comeback of the Year category, Diede de Groot in Sportsperson of the Year with a disability, and Arisa Trew in Action sportsperson of the Year. The Sport for Good award went to Fundacion Rafa Nadal for its contributions to using sports for positive impact.
