Historic Laureus World Sports Awards return to Madrid as sporting world celebrates 25 Years of Laureus
The winners of the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards, the most prestigious honours in sport, are to be announced in Madrid, on April 21.
25 years after the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards were held in Monaco in 2000, this special anniversary edition of the greatest show in sports will celebrate the growth of Laureus as a unique sporting movement – encompassing the world-famous Awards and the work of Laureus Sport for Good in over 40 countries.
And it will all take place in Madrid, the venue for last year’s globally-broadcast Awards show, when winners included Simone Biles, Jude Bellingham and Novak Djokovic. Sport is an electrifying part of Madrid’s appeal as a destination: as well as being home to five La Liga football clubs, tennis’s Madrid Open and the venue for the climax of cycling’s Vuelta a España; it will host Spain’s first ever regular season NFL game later this year and in 2026 will welcome F1 with the Formula One Gran Premio d’España staged in Madrid from 2026 on a stunning new street circuit.
The 25th anniversary Awards, staged 25 years after the first ever Laureus Awards in 2000, will honour the past, celebrate the present and inspire the future – expect the biggest names from the world of sport, joined by celebrity sports fans, in a unique mix for which Laureus is renowned.
And as ever, at stake will be ‘The Laureus’: the statuette awarded to the winner in each category and the prize the greatest athletes in the world value above all other Awards – voted on by the 69 sporting legends of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
Beyond the Awards ceremony itself, Laureus will also use the return to Madrid to showcase the impact of the social legacy of the 2024 Awards, in cooperation with the Community and City of Madrid, which will see the Awards benefit young people across the city and wider region.
And it will all take place in Madrid, the venue for last year’s globally-broadcast Awards show, when winners included Simone Biles, Jude Bellingham and Novak Djokovic. Sport is an electrifying part of Madrid’s appeal as a destination: as well as being home to five La Liga football clubs, tennis’s Madrid Open and the venue for the climax of cycling’s Vuelta a España; it will host Spain’s first ever regular season NFL game later this year and in 2026 will welcome F1 with the Formula One Gran Premio d’España staged in Madrid from 2026 on a stunning new street circuit.
The 25th anniversary Awards, staged 25 years after the first ever Laureus Awards in 2000, will honour the past, celebrate the present and inspire the future – expect the biggest names from the world of sport, joined by celebrity sports fans, in a unique mix for which Laureus is renowned.
And as ever, at stake will be ‘The Laureus’: the statuette awarded to the winner in each category and the prize the greatest athletes in the world value above all other Awards – voted on by the 69 sporting legends of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
Beyond the Awards ceremony itself, Laureus will also use the return to Madrid to showcase the impact of the social legacy of the 2024 Awards, in cooperation with the Community and City of Madrid, which will see the Awards benefit young people across the city and wider region.
Across 2024, we marvelled at sporting highlights from the NBA to F1, from the Tour de France to the NFL. And the jewel in the crown of world sport delivered in spades: the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games provided a cast of heroes from the track to the pool, the gymnasium and beyond.
The Laureus World Sports Awards will honour them all and will also include the Laureus Sport for Good Award, which recognises an individual or organisation who has made a significant contribution to transforming the lives of children and young people through sport. The shortlisted contenders will be announced alongside other Award Nominees in March.
Raul Gonzalez Blanco is a Laureus World Sports Academy Member and captained his hometown team of Real Madrid for seven years during an iconic career. “This year our Awards celebrate not just a great year of sport, but 25 years since the Laureus Sport for Good movement was born,” he said.
The Laureus World Sports Awards will honour them all and will also include the Laureus Sport for Good Award, which recognises an individual or organisation who has made a significant contribution to transforming the lives of children and young people through sport. The shortlisted contenders will be announced alongside other Award Nominees in March.
Raul Gonzalez Blanco is a Laureus World Sports Academy Member and captained his hometown team of Real Madrid for seven years during an iconic career. “This year our Awards celebrate not just a great year of sport, but 25 years since the Laureus Sport for Good movement was born,” he said.
“These Awards are going to be so special – every Member of the Laureus Academy is so excited about it – and I feel honoured that Madrid is the host city once again. We are a proud sporting city and I can’t wait to welcome the greatest athletes in the world – from the past as well as the present – to Madrid. I know how much winning a Laureus means to them and I think this year it will mean even more.”
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the President of the Community of Madrid, said: "The international projection of Madrid is unstoppable; we are the trendiest region in the world. Madrid's appeal is unique, and that is why all prestigious events, such as the Laureus World Sports Awards, want to be with us and we celebrate that. We are a government that is committed to sport and the values it represents. We have also proven to be a guarantee of success in organising major sporting events. That is why, in addition to the Laureus World Sports Awards, which we will host in Madrid for the second consecutive year, we will soon have the best Formula 1 circuit in the world, we will be an NFL host city for the first time, we will once again host a FIFA World Cup, and we hope that, at last, we will soon become an Olympic Games host city."
José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the Mayor of Madrid, said: “For us, it is a source of pride that the Laureus World Sports Awards are returning to Madrid after the success of our debut as a host city in 2024. They are also returning to an iconic venue: the Palacio de Cibeles, home to the City Hall. We have proven that we are capable of hosting world-impact events, putting all our talent into ensuring that the organisation, efficiency, and security reach levels of excellence. This continued commitment to Madrid strengthens our international leadership, also reinforced by the return of Formula 1 and the arrival of the NFL.”
Laureus Sport for Good was founded 25 years ago, in 2000 – inspired by the words of Nelson Mandela at the first Laureus World Sports Awards. Today, it is a global leader in the sport for development sector, supporting and connecting over 300 sports-based programmes in more than 40 countries.
José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the Mayor of Madrid, said: “For us, it is a source of pride that the Laureus World Sports Awards are returning to Madrid after the success of our debut as a host city in 2024. They are also returning to an iconic venue: the Palacio de Cibeles, home to the City Hall. We have proven that we are capable of hosting world-impact events, putting all our talent into ensuring that the organisation, efficiency, and security reach levels of excellence. This continued commitment to Madrid strengthens our international leadership, also reinforced by the return of Formula 1 and the arrival of the NFL.”
Laureus Sport for Good was founded 25 years ago, in 2000 – inspired by the words of Nelson Mandela at the first Laureus World Sports Awards. Today, it is a global leader in the sport for development sector, supporting and connecting over 300 sports-based programmes in more than 40 countries.
