The Laureus World Sports Award is an annual sports award that honours both individuals and teams from the sporting world for their achievements over the past year.

Established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good founding patrons Daimier and Richemont, the term ‘Laureus�?is derived from the Greek word laurel which is considered a traditional symbol for victory in athletics.

This award’s programmes look to channel the power of sports to bring an end to discrimination, disadvantages, and violence, thereby highlighting the power of sports to change the world.

Golfer Tiger Woods was the first-ever recipient of the Laureus World Sports Award in the men’s categories and there have been plenty of different recipients of the prestigious award since.

Football superstar Lionel Messi won the Laureus World Sports Award for men in 2023 after leading the Argentina football team to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Messi is the only footballer to have ever won this prestigious award across the men’s and women’s categories.

He also shared the 2020 edition of the Laureus Award with F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, making him not just the only footballer to win the award but also a two-time recipient of the award.

No footballer has ever won the Laureus Award in the sportswoman category, however, there have been plenty of winners from the world of football in the other categories of the award.

The likes of Manchester United, the France national football team, the Brazil national football team, the Greece national football team, the Italy national football team, the Spain national football team, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, the Germany national football team, and the Argentina national football team have all won the award for the best team of the year category.

The Italy and Frace national football teams, in fact, have won the award twice for triumphant FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro campaigns. Among clubs, German giants Bayern Munich are the only team to have won the Team of the Year award twice.

Another category where footballers have been the recipient of the Laureus Award is the Comeback of the Year category, which recognises extraordinary sporting returns by athletes who have overcome great adversity.

Two football players have won the Laureus Award for Comeback of the Year. These players are Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldo and Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen.

While Ronaldo won the award after recovering from a near career-ending and leading Brazil to their fifth World Cup title in 2002, Christian Eriksen won it after making a return to football after suffering a cardiac arrest on a football pitch.

During a match in UEFA Euro 2020, Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field after suffering a cardiac arrest. After intense treatment on the pitch, the Dane was revived and made a successful return to football as demonstrated by the fact that he’s a vital cog in the midfield of football giants Manchester United.

Laureus Award football winners

Laureus Award for Sportsman of the Year

Year	Sportsman of the Year
2020	Lionel Messi
2023	Lionel Messi

Laureus Award for Team of the Year

Year	Team of the Year
2000	Manchester United
2001	France
2003	Brazil
2005	Greece
2007	Italy
2011	Spain
2012	FC Barcelona
2014	Bayern Munich
2015	Germany
2019	France
2021	Bayern Munich
2022	Italy
2023	Argentina

Laureus Award for Comeback of the Year

Year	Comeback of the Year
2003	Ronaldo
2023	Christian Eriksen

Photo credit: Alamy

Serie A made its comeback this weekend following a break brought about by the pandemic crisis that hit Italy especially hard, with Atalanta back thrilling fans and Romelu Lukaku continuing his brilliant debut season for Inter Milan.

We look at five of the key moments from the first round of matches after three months away:

Lukaku continues where he left off

The Belgian's impressive debut season with Inter Milan continued on Sunday against relegation strugglers Sampdoria, with his first-half strike taking his league tally to 18 goals this term.

Lukaku has already bettered former Brazilian star Ronaldo's debut season total of 16 and has scored 24 times in all competitions for Inter since joining from Manchester United.

Inter sit six points adrift of league leaders Juve with 12 matches remaining and will need Lukaku to maintain his form if they are to claim a first Serie A title since winning the treble under Jose Mourinho in 2010.

"It was very important to win today, as from now to the end of the season it's 12 finals, they are all life or death," Lukaku told Sky Sport Italia.

Eriksen thrives again

Inter were not at their best against Sampdoria, but coach Antonio Conte would have been content with a 2-1 win that keeps their title hopes alive and by the performance of Christian Eriksen.

The January signing from Tottenham Hotspur, who scored directly from a corner in the Italian Cup semi-final loss to Napoli, was handed a more central role behind forwards Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez.

The Dane, who made 62 assists during his seven years in the Premier League, laid on Lukaku's opening goal in another influential display.

Atalanta burst into life after virus 'warfare'

Atalanta continued their remarkable campaign exactly where they left off with Sunday's 4-1 win over Sassuolo, bringing some joy to a city that was at one point the global epicentre of the global pandemic.

"This is not just any restart. It's for a region that has suffered three months of living in warfare. Nobody can forget the sounds of the ambulances streaking down the street," said director Umberto Marino pre-match.

The minute's silence before the match was accompanied by a video honouring the near 35,000 people who died and a song called "Rinascero, Rinascerai" (I will be born again, you will be born again).

Then the goals rained down, three in the first 37 minutes with two more chalked off and goalscorer Duvan Zapata also hitting the bar. With 74 goals in 26 league matches, Atalanta are well on course to net over 100 times this season.

They will be one of the eight clubs to take part in the last eight Champions League tournament set to be held in Lisbon in August, and Sunday's spectacular win showed why they are favourites to rejoin Europe's elite next season.

Black Lives Matter protests

While matches in the Bundesliga and Premier League have begun with teams taking a knee in honour of the global Black Lives Matter, the approach has been more ad hoc in Italy.

Neither match on Saturday began with players taking the knee as a minute's silence is held for those killed by the disease, although Cameroonian Nicolas NKoulou did after giving Torino the lead in their 1-1 draw over Parma.

However, Torino drew heavy criticism on social media for publishing a tweet with the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag with an image of NKoulou kneeling before Italy striker Andrea Belotti, who is white.

Lukaku also took a knee after his goal on Sunday.

Deflating start

Just five seconds had passed of Serie A's comeback fixture when the referee at Turin's Stadio Olimpico Massimiliano Irrati had to call the players back to retake kick off -- thanks to a deflated ball.

It was an inauspicious restart to the top division after what had been a successful return of football over the previous week, with Napoli winning the Italian Cup after entertaining last four and final fixtures in front of large terrestrial TV audiences.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Filippo Monteforte

Luka Modric has been a magnificent performer for Real Madrid. Having joined from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2012, the Croatian international played some of his finest football at the Santiago Bernabeu and has been an unsung hero in their recent success, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale often soaking up the limelight.

Till date, Modric has amassed 333 appearances for Real Madrid, bagging 22 goals and assisting 52 more. During his time at the club, the 34-year-old has won four UEFA Champions League titles, along with a La Liga title and a Copa del Rey trophy.

Read | Why it is time for Barcelona to cut their losses on Ousmane Dembele

The 2017/18 campaign was Modric’s best, as he won the Champions League with Real Madrid before reaching the finals of the World Cup with Croatia. The midfielder then went on to win the Ballon d’Or award.

However, since that season, Modric’s form has been on a slow decline. The numbers might say that the midfielder has made 76 appearances since 2018/19, scoring nine goals and assisting 13 more, but there is no denying that Modric has shown signs of age catching up with him.

At 34 years of age, the Croatian international is entering the twilight of his career and the time is ripe for Real Madrid to identify a successor for their midfield maestro going forward. To that end, SportsAdda takes a look at five gifted footballers who could replace the legendary Modric at the Bernabeu.

Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)

Federico Valverde joined the Real Madrid Castilla team in 2016 and broke into the first-team in 2018, after a successful loan spell at Deportivo La Coruna. While he may not be the biggest name on the list, the Uruguayan international has shown this season that he is ready to step up and take over the mantle from Luka Modric at Real Madrid.

Read | Five strikers who can replace Sergio Aguero at Manchester City

But it’s during the 2019/20 campaign that the 21-year-old has become a regular for Zinedine Zidane’s side, even preferred over Modric on a number of occasions by the manager. He has made 32 appearances this term for the Merengues, scoring two and setting up four more.

Valverde, this season, has demonstrated great work-rate and energy, reinvigorating the Real Madrid midfield. The Uruguayan is capable of making an impact on both halves of the pitch and given his age, will only develop and get better from here on.

Christian Eriksen (Inter Milan)

A well-known Real Madrid target, Christian Eriksen ended up joining Inter Milan in the January transfer window from Tottenham. However, with things seemingly not going well in his short stint in Italy so far, Los Blancos should consider reviving their interest in the Danish international come summer.

Eriksen, during his time with Spurs, grew into one of the finest playmakers in the Premier League and Europe. The 28-year-old's vision and distribution, coupled with the ability to chip in with vital goals, made him the ideal candidate to take over from Modric at Real Madrid. What’s more, the Dane had also developed his game to play a deeper role in recent times under Mauricio Pochettino.

At 28, Eriksen is in his peak footballing years. With plenty of experience under his belt, Eriksen would be an excellent replacement for Real Madrid’s veteran midfield lieutenant. A former Tottenham man taking over from another.

Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)

Regarded as one of the most technically-gifted midfielders in the game currently, Marco Verratti has been a key driving force behind Paris Saint-Germain's domestic domination for a number of years now but doesn’t always enjoy the spotlight.

Read | Does Manchester United's interest in Jack Grealish make sense?

Plucked away from Italian outfit Pescara for a modest fee of �?2 million in 2012, Verratti has accumulated 310 appearances for Le Parisiens. During that time, he has bagged nine goals, set up 52 more and barring 2016/17, won the Ligue 1 title every season since joining the club. A passer extraordinaire, the Italian is also renowned for his ball-winning capabilities, making him the perfect modern-day central midfielder.

Aged 27, Verratti is entering the theoretical best phase of a footballer’s career. The Italy international has played at the highest level for a long time now, and having failed to taste continental success with PSG, he could be tempted to join forces with the record European champions.

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Arguably the best midfielder in the Premier League, Kevin De Bruyne, since joining Manchester City in 2015, has won everything on offer the domestic level, playing an integral role in each of their trophy triumphs.

However, Champions League glory continues to elude the Belgian international and with the Cityzens facing a two-year European ban for FFP violations, Real Madrid have been presented with a golden opportunity to lure him away from the Etihad.

The 28-year-old is enjoying his best-ever season this time out, having bagged nine goals and 20 assists in all competitions. De Bruyne's ability to carry the ball through the middle of the pitch, and then thread the eye of the needle to create chances for his teammates stand to make him a huge asset for Real Madrid.

Certainly, Kevin De Bruyne linking up with international teammate Eden Hazard at the Bernabeu would surely be a mouth-watering prospect for the fans.

Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

Another player from Manchester but from the red side, Paul Pogba has been on top of Zidane’s transfer wishlist for quite a while now. Real Madrid tried to pry him away from Manchester United last summer, while the player and his agent Mino Raiola also tried their best to force a move but it did not materialise.

However, as another summer window nears, the speculations continue to link Pogba with a switch to Real Madrid. The Manchester United academy graduate grew into one of the best central midfielders in Europe during his time with Juventus but hasn’t been able to perform at his consistent best since returning to Old Trafford in 2016.

While Pogba has hardly taken to the field this term due to injuries, the 27-year-old enjoyed a fine season last time out, scoring 16 goals and setting up 11 more. This, in spite of all the problems between him and then-manager Jose Mourinho. One can therefore can only imagine how devastating the French World Cup winner can be playing for a manager who admires him to a great extent.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / John Thys / Franck Fife / Paul Ellis

The offices of most European football clubs stayed open way past regular on deadline day of the winter transfer window, with many footballers making last ditch moves all across the continent. The biggest movers this January were Erling Haaland who moved from RB Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund, Yannick Carrasco who moved from China to Atletico Madrid and Emre Can, who got his desired move out of Juventus back to his native Germany.

While a few of these transfers were premeditated and went as per plan, the winter transfer window sprang up a few surprises. Here are five transfer that one couldn’t have seen coming this January.

Christian Eriksen to Inter Milan

With just six months left on his contract, it was no surprise that the Danish playmaker moved out of Tottenham Hotspur, but signing for Inter Milan came as a surprise to many. Still only 27, Eriksen is in the prime of his career and had interest from Barcelona, Real Madrid and many more top clubs if rumours were to be believed. Despite those interests, it was Europa League side Inter Milan who secured his services with a 20m bid. The move is all the more surprising since Eriksen has seldom played in a three-man defensive setup, the one preferred by Inter manager Antonio Conte.

| WELCOME

This dream is #NotForEveryone.#WelcomeChristian pic.twitter.com/55BiBAJYHd

�?Inter (@Inter_en) January 29, 2020

Odion Ighalo to Manchester United 

The Nigerian forward was the talk of the town in the Premier League in 2015 when he scored goals week in week out for Watford, forming a stellar partnership with club captain Troy Deeney. A couple of seasons later, his scoring tenacity wasn’t the same anymore and he was shipped off to Chinese Super League. Ighalo would have expected to retire in the oblivion of east Asia, but as fate may have it, he will now be leading the line for his dream club, Manchester United. What was surprising this deadline day transfer is how little was reported on this deal till the final few hours of the transfer window.

Ashley Young to Inter Milan

The 34-year-old winger had six months to go on his Manchester United contract, and Inter Milan swooped in with a 1.5 million offer to sign the Englishman. Manchester United however may end up on the wrong side of this deal as their defenders have been struggling with injuries throughout this season. The left back position in general has been a concern for the Reds, with Luke Shaw struggling with fitness and Brandon Williams unable to make that spot his own. Young was still a regular starter for Manchester United, but despite that he was allowed to leave on a meagre transfer sum, making this one of the surprise moves of the winter.

"I love Newcastle. I love the people. I love northerners!"

Danny Rose on making the move back up north. #NUFC

�?Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) January 31, 2020

Danny Rose to Newcastle

The English left-back’s loan move to Newcastle United also raised eyebrows amongst a few, since Spurs haven’t nailed on a replacement. Rose and Ben Davies used to alternate in that left-back role for the London side, but now the responsibility falls solely on the Welshman, which could be daunting considering his team still are playing in three competitions. For Rose however, a move to Newcastle almost guarantees him a starting place and augment his chances of making the cut for the Euros squad for the Three Lions.

Ryan Bennett to Leicester City

This transfer also caught most of the British media off guard, as there was little to no reporting on this prior to a confirmation from the Foxes. The move however raises more questions than answers, as Bennett was a sure starter for Wolverhampton Wanderers, and was crucial to their plans with Willy Boly and Ruben Vinagre still struggling for fitness. Bennett joining Leicester also seems a surprise, with Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu their established first choice defenders, with Wes Morgan still an able deputy for the duo.

Feature image: AFP/ Oli Scarff

Inter Milan have finally completed the signing of Christian Eriksen from Tottenham Hotspur for a reported £16.8m fee on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

Eriksen, whose contract with Tottenham was expiring at the end of the season, flew to Milan from London on Monday for completing the necessary procedures, and his move will reportedly earn him a whopping £6.5m per season plus bonuses. It is understood that Barcelona too were in contention for his signature, but following their enquiry on Thursday last week, there was no news from Catalonia.

Eriksen made 305 appearances for Tottenham during his six-and-a-half-year stint, scoring 69 goals and 89 assists, and will wear No 24 shirt at his new club.

“I couldn't wait to get there, being here is beautiful and I'm happy to be a new Inter player,�?the midfielder told Inter TV.

| SHIRT

The shirt number selected by @ChrisEriksen8! ⚫️ #WelcomeChristian #NotForEveryone pic.twitter.com/fhUFcaFXlL

�?Inter (@Inter_en) January 28, 2020

“I am very excited and I can't wait to get to know the fans, I have already had the opportunity to feel their warmth, it was a fantastic welcome. I feel great.

“Honestly I'm not one who cares a lot about numbers, but I know that people like them and testify that I did a lot well in England. 

“Now the time has come to take on a new challenge, I am very happy to be able to play in Serie A and with a great club like Inter, it is a fantastic club.�?/p>

✍️ | SEALING THE DEAL@ChrisEriksen8 ⚫️ #WelcomeChristian #NotForEveryone pic.twitter.com/fM7rxrc9V3

�?Inter (@Inter_en) January 28, 2020

Inter initially seemed reluctant on matching Tottenham’s asking price, but the need of acquiring reinforcements forced them to go all out for the midfielder. After enjoying a few days on the top of the Serie A chart, Inter slipped on their by playing three back-to-back draws, allowing Juventus to claim the top spot.

Having said that, Eriksen has become third winter signing for Inter, following the footsteps of Ashley Young and Victor Moses. Young, meanwhile, has already asserted his claim in Serie A by proving an invaluable assist inside 30 minutes on his debut.

We are delighted to announce that we have exercised the option to convert the loan of @LoCelsoGiovani from Real Betis to a permanent transfer.

✍️ Gio has signed a contract with the Club until 2025. #THFC ⚪️ #COYS

�?Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 28, 2020

Tottenham, on their part, didn’t take long in announcing that midfielder Giovani Lo Celso has been acquired on a permanent basis. The Argentine was playing on loan from Real Betis, and has penned down a five-year deal with the club.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @Inter_en

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has grown increasingly frustrated over the entire Christian Eriksen transfer saga, claiming that a situation as this ‘shouldn't happen on the 25th of January�?

After days of speculation and several negotiations, Eriksen, 27, is finally closing in on his move to Antonio Conte’s Inter for a reported fee of around £16m which would see him earning near to £320,000 per week. It is said that the midfielder, who was left out of Tottenham's FA Cup fourth-round draw at Southampton on Saturday, will travel to Italy in coming days to finalize his move.

His last appearance for Spurs came as a second-half substitute in a 2-1 Premier League win over Norwich and was subsequently booed by a section of crowed who were unhappy with his commitment towards the club.

With no firm agreement still in place, manager Jose Mourinho’s frustration deemed evident when quipped upon the update of the move. Speaking to the reporters after the Southampton draw, the Portuguese said, "You can read what you want to read. I don't want to say anything.

"I just want to say that this situation shouldn't happen on the 25th of January, and that it is not Tottenham's fault that on the 25th of January we are in this situation.

"The only thing I can say is, Eriksen, since I arrived, has behaved in a very, very professional way with me and with the team.

"Tottenham is the last one to blame in this situation but to be on the 25th of January in a situation like this is not nice."

And while one man is heading out, the manager conceded that Spurs will make Giovani lo Celso’s loan deal from Real Betis a permanent one. Lo Celso, 23, joined Tottenham in August last year on loan and despite initial struggles, the midfielder has evolved under Mourinho, having scored two goals in 20 appearances in the season.

"I think the boy is earning the decision," said Mourinho. "He is making it an easy decision for the club to execute the options.

"Incredible evolution since I arrived. By himself he made the decision that the club is going to execute the option."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Adrian Dennis