Messi, 35, finally won his first World Cup in Qatar last December after a thrilling penalty shootout win over France - enough to earn him an individual award. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner also picked up the team award at a prestigious ceremony in Paris on May 8.
Messi and his wife attend the awards ceremony
Messi attended the ceremony with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, having previously won the award in 2020. The award saw Messi, who was fined and suspended for two weeks by PSG for making an unauthorised promotional visit to Saudi Arabia, beat off notable competition from team-mate Kylian Mbappe.
Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won her fifth world 100m crown last August in Eugene, Oregon, was named female athlete of the year, while US Open tennis champion Carlos Alcaraz was named world sports breakthrough athlete of the year.
PSG fans protest against the club with Messi and Neymar
Returning to football, Denmark and Manchester United star Christian Eriksen has won the Comeback Award for his remarkable return to the top of European football after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch at EURO 2020. The award has been presented annually since 2000 by a 71-member jury of the Laureus World Sports Academy, which has assessed and celebrated sporting excellence over the past 50 years.
Previously, via his Twitter account, Messi apologized to PSG for traveling to Saudi Arabia without the team's permission.
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