The Laureus Sports Awards were presented on Wednesday evening in Madrid. These prestigious prizes are often referred to as “the Oscars of the sports world.” Max Verstappen was nominated for the fourth consecutive time for the title of Sportsman of the Year, but the honor went to Swedish pole vaulter Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis. McLaren also missed out on the Team of the Year award.
Formula 1 appeared to be the big loser at the 2025 Laureus Sports Awards. Despite Max Verstappen’s achievements—having secured his fourth consecutive world title last year—he was not named Sportsman of the Year. This marks the third year in a row Verstappen has missed out on the award; in 2023 and 2024, he lost to footballer Lionel Messi and tennis player Novak Djokovic, respectively. In 2022, after winning his first F1 world championship, Verstappen did take home the prize. This year, the honor went to Swedish pole vaulter Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis. The Olympic champion and world record holder claimed the title after an extraordinary season in athletics.
No award for McLaren
The McLaren team also had to settle for just a nomination for Team of the Year. The Papaya squad was nominated for winning the Constructors’ Championship, their first since 1998. However, the award went to Real Madrid—the football club managed by Carlo Ancelotti, which won both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
Other winners included gymnast Simone Biles (Sportswoman of the Year), footballer Lamine Yamal (Breakthrough of the Year), the Kick4Life Foundation (Charity of the Year), tennis legend Rafael Nadal (Sporting Icon), and swimmer Jiang Yuyan (Disabled Athlete of the Year).
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