[Sport] Argentina swept the sports Oscars with a historic double: Lionel Messi and La Scaloneta, the best of the year at the Laureus Awards

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The captain of the Argentine National Team was the great figure at the evening in Paris. Carlos Alcaraz, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Christian Eriksen, among others, also won.

Lionel Messi became the first to win two Laureus awards in the same edition: Best Sportsman and Best Team with the Argentine National Team. Photo: Laureus.

Lionel Messi is the best athlete of 2023. He is better than the French footballer Kylian Mbappé -although at PSG they incredibly think the opposite. He is also better than the Dutch pilot Max Verstappen, the Swedish athlete Mondo Duplantis, the Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal and the American basketball player Stephen Curry. This was defined by the notable jury of the Laureus Awards, the sports Oscars, which were delivered this Monday at the Pavillion Vendome in Paris.

But Messi's conquests, in times of turbulence at his club and with his future caught between question marks, did not end there. It is that the Argentine National Team, the one whose captain is Rosario and who comes from winning the World Cup in Qatar 2022, is the best team of the year. It's better than the England women's soccer team, the France men's rugby team, the Real Madrid soccer team, the NBA's Golden State Warriors, and the Red Bull Formula 1 team. Yes, Messi and La Scaloneta are the best of the best. And there is little to discuss.

It is the second time that Messi, 35, has won a Laureus after the one he obtained in 2020. However, on that occasion, La Pulga shared the recognition with the British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton. This time it was solo and it was Verstappen's turn to succeed, winner in 2022. However, he is far from the five statuettes that the Swiss Roger Federer collected in his wonderful career as a tennis player.

"The World Cup came at the end of my career, but it was the most beautiful thing," said Messi, who was accompanied on stage by Argentine rugby legend Hugo Porta, who compared the captain of the Argentine National Team to South African statesman Nelson Mandela for for his leadership and for his ability to inspire others. "If Mandela were here, I would give you a hug," emphasized the former Los Pumas fly-half.

"It cost me a lot (the World Cup), almost my entire career. I want to share it with all of Argentina," Messi continued, visibly moved. At that moment, he recalled that before he had had "a lot of happiness with Barcelona and sadness with the National Team." And he closed: "It was a lesson, with many stones on the way, to improve myself, to improve myself, together with my family and my loved ones," he added, who attended the evening with his partner, Antonela Roccuzzo. Together they caused a furor with their looks.

The Argentine star arrived with an elegant look together with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo

But Messi's night did not end there. It is that Leo made history and did not need to have a ball as a tool. He didn't even have to put on his shorts. With his elegant tuxedo, he became the first athlete to receive double awards at the Laureus (individual and team) since these awards began to be given in the year 2000. The fact is that the Argentine National Team also took his statuette and was Messi who received. received. And that the president of the AFA, Claudio Chiqui Tapia, also participated in the party. and the defender Lisandro Martínez, who was accompanied by his partner, the influencer Muri López Benítez.

La Scaloneta, that magnificent and unforgettable creation by Lionel Scaloni, took the prize for his role in the World Cup in Qatar, where he prevailed in a hectic final against France, second in the fight, after the penalty shootout to shout champion for the third time. time. in History. An important detail: Messi left the gala with a pin on one of his lapels with the AFA shield and its brand new three stars.

 

The Selection succeeds the Italian soccer team, which last year gave an unforgettable dance at Wembley in the Finalissima, that smile that is attributed as a prologue to that unforgettable end of the year in the Middle East. "It was an award for work, camaraderie, humility and respect. Not only Argentina found themselves identified (with our team), but a large part of the world. Respect above all else," said Messi, who received the award from the Italian coach Fabio Capello and Spanish footballer Carles Puyol, his former partner in Barcelona, who, like Porta, make up the jury of 71 notables from the Laureus Academy.

"We have fought it and we have gone through very difficult moments, but all together, with that strength, that hunger, we said to ourselves: why can't we be world champions? After the match against Saudi Arabia, as Leo said, we had to believe" , commented Licha Martínez, who will recover from an injury to one of her feet. And he added: "We did it with the humility of accepting defeat, respecting our rivals when we win and lose."

The Manchester United defender arrived at the Laureus Awards gala in Paris with a look very similar to that of captain Lionel Messi.

Chiqui Tapia also had the floor, who assured that the victory in Qatar was "a great joy for all Argentines who felt proud of their country at a very special moment." And he closed: "When there is a project and a whole team wants the same, there is nothing impossible," closed the strong man of Argentine soccer who is traveling through Europe for commercial matters.

It was another Argentine night in Paris, with a Messi who shone again after a convulsed week due to his trip to Saudi Arabia that led to an unprecedented sanction by the PSG leadership. Hours before becoming the center of the sports universe, La Pulga had at least obtained a pardon from his Qatari employers and was able to train at the Camp des Loges, the sports venue of his club. It was the same day that in Spain they assured, without any reservation, that their future was tied to Al Hilal, the Arab team led by Ramón Díaz. For now, nothing is resolved. It is only known that Messi and La Scaloneta are the best of the best.

 

Link: https://www.clarin.com/deportes/argentina-arraso-oscar-deporte-doblete-historico-lionel-messi-scaloneta-mejores-ano-premios-laureus_0_EJEfQpUjkO.html