England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has won the 2024 Laureus World Sports Breakthrough of the Year award.
The 20-year-old has become a key player for Real following his £89m move from Borussia Dortmund last summer.
He scored the winner against Barcelona in El Clasico on Sunday as he took his tally to 17 goals in La Liga this season.
Bellingham also helped Real Madrid beat Manchester City on penalties in their Champions League quarter-final last week.
The Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award went to tennis player Novak Djokovic for the fifth time, while Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s equivalent.
Bonmati, the current Ballon d’Or holder, helped her club win Liga F, the Spanish Cup and the Women’s Champions League in 2022-23.
She was then part of the Spain side which won the 2023 Women’s World Cup, with their exploits earning them the Team of the Year award at the Laureus ceremony in Madrid.
“To be the first footballer to win this [women’s] award makes it even more special,” said Bonmati.
“As the first women’s team to win the Laureus, we are proud of our status as pioneers and as a group we are as committed to equality and representation as we are to what we do on the football pitch.”
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