Barcelona star Lionel Messi has become the first ever footballer to be named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, sharing the award with Lewis Hamilton.
The Argentine scored a sensational 51 goals in all competitions last season, and was the captain as Barcelona won La Liga for the 10th time in his career.
Hamilton, meanwhile, won the Formula 1 drivers’ championship for the fifth time in his career. Messi is the first footballer to win the award ever, while Hamilton follows in the footsteps of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.
“I would like to thank the Academy for giving me this recognition,” Messi said in a video message as he was not able to attend the ceremony.
“This is a very important and special award. For me it is a huge delight to be part of this award and the first team player to receive it.
“Of course, I would like to thank my team-mates, my family and the fans who support me. Thanks to them, this kind of individual recognition is possible.” – Eurosport
