Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has been honoured as the Breakthrough of the Year at the 2024 Laureus World Sports Award.
The 20-year-old, who has dazzled the football world since his summer move to the Spanish giants from Borussia Dortmund, won the accolade in the 25th award ceremony held at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid on Monday.
🏆 Jude Bellingham wins the 2024 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award. #Laureus24
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🏆 Jude Bellingham es el ganador del premio Laureus revelación del año 2024. #Laureus24 pic.twitter.com/VYOkY6Je2c
— Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 22, 2024
The England international, who scored Los Blancos winner in Sunday’s El Clasico win over Barcelona, beat five other sports stars to the award, including Colombia’s Linda Caicedo, Spanish women’s footballer Salma Paralluelo, American tennis star Coco Gauff, Qin Haiyang of China, and Scottish 1500-meter runner Josh Kerr.
Bellingham has been vital to Real Madrid’s success this season, with 21 goals and 10 assists in 36 matches, including 17 goals in 25 matches in La Liga. He has guided them to the top of La Liga as well as the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they beat Manchester City on penalties in the last eight.
The 2024 Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award winner is Simone Biles 🏆
The iconic gymnast made a record-breaking return to competition last year, winning four gold medals in the World Championship including a record sixth all-around title. #Laureus24 pic.twitter.com/JyzBWEoZ6c
— Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 22, 2024
Meanwhile, the United States’ Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, was honored with the Comeback of the Year award, adding to the three previous Sportswoman of the Year awards she won in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Biles, a four-time Olympic champion who took a two-year break from gymnastics, dominated 2023, winning four gold medals at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.
The 27-year-old also claimed her eighth U.S. gymnastics title, breaking the 90-year-old US gymnastics title record previously held by Alfred Jochim.
Full Laureus awards list
Sportsman of the Year: Novak Djokovic
Sportswoman of the Year: Aitana Bonmati
Team of the Year: Spain women’s football team
Breakthrough of the Year: Jude Bellingham
Comeback of the Year: Simone Biles (Gymnastics)
Sportsperson of the Year with a disability: Diede de Groot (Tennis)
Action sportsperson of the Year: Arisa Trew (Skateboarding)
Sport for Good award: Fundacion Rafa Nadal
