The world champion, Leo Messi, Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, Colombian Linda Caicedo, American athlete Noah Lyles, Spanish player Aitana Bonmati, Dutch driver Max Verstappen, and American skier Michaela Shiffrin are among the nominees for the Laureus Awards, according to the list revealed on Monday at the Real Casa de Correos in Madrid.

The Spanish women's football team, the reigning champions of the World Cup held last August, will vie for the title of best world team of the year, with two of its players, Aitana Bonmatí, recently awarded the Ballon d'Or, nominated for the best world athlete of the year award, while Salma Paralluelo, who was chosen as the best young footballer in the World Cup, will be in the category of Revelation of the year along with Englishman Jude Bellingham, a footballer for Real Madrid, who won the 'Golden Boy' as the best U-21 footballer, and Linda Caicedo, a player for the Real Madrid women's team.

The presentation of the nominees was attended, among others, by the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, former players of the caliber of Luis Figo, Ruud Gullit, and Alessandro del Piero, who are judges of the prestigious awards, and the Olympic champion in the 400-meter hurdles in Los Angeles 1984 and member of the IOC and the Laureus Academy, Nawal El Moutawakel.

"Coming to Madrid, we know we are in good hands. All the members of the Laureus Academy are delighted and especially me to be in my home. The awards will leave a lasting legacy," explained Figo, who defined the victory of La Roja in the Women's World Championship as a "historic achievement" and acknowledged that Spain is an example of work "from federations, entities, and clubs so that women's football continues to grow."

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The Spanish women's team will compete for the award against Manchester City, winner of the Premier League and the Champions League, the South African Springboks, winners of the Rugby World Cup, the German men's basketball team, reigning world champions, the European Ryder Cup team, which includes Spanish Jon Rahm, and the Red Bull Formula One team, constructor's world champion and will seek to succeed the Argentine Football Team, which won the award in the previous edition.

Bellingham's nomination was also valued by the former Madridista. "It's incredible the performance he's giving. Adapting so young in a team like Madrid with the pressure that exists is impressive. Happy with him because he knows the difficulties of going to a big club and adapting. I hope he continues in the same line in the coming years and gives many joys to the fans," he affirmed.

On April 22, the champions of each category will be announced at a gala in Madrid, which will be the twenty-fifth edition of the awards, of which Almeida acknowledged that they are on the "exciting path" to celebrate the delivery in "the best city in the world for sports".

"We are on the exciting path to April 22 to celebrate the delivery in the best city in the world for sports, which is Madrid, a city in love with sports and dedicated to the awards. I have heard that the Laureus are the Oscars of sports, but they have acquired a dimension and prestige of their own," commented the mayor.

For her part, the president of the Community of Madrid closed the event, in which she assured that it is "the most prestigious event in the world of sports," which she is very excited to receive.

"The Community and the city will once again become the world capital of sport, which, together with music, is the universal language," she concluded.

The nominees for the best male athlete of the year are Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, footballers Lionel Messi (ARG) and Erlind Haaland (NOR), Swedish athlete Mondo Duplantis, and American Noah Lyles and Formula 1 world champion, Dutchman Max Verstappen.

In the female category, in addition to Aitana Bonmatí, athletes Shericka Jackson (JAM), Faith Kipyegon (KEN), and Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) are also nominated, along with American skier Mikaela Shiffrin and Polish tennis player Iga Swiatek.

As for the revelation award, which brings together male and female athletes, Real Madrid will have double representation with Englishman Jude Bellingham and Colombian Linda Caicedo, who join Spaniard Salma Paralluelo, American tennis player Coco Gauff, Chinese swimmer Quin Haiyang, and British athlete Josh Kerr.

Other notable nominations include American gymnast Simone Biles for the best comeback of the year along with Ivorian footballer Sebastien Haller, Canadian basketball player Jamal Murray, Czech tennis player Marketa Vond

rousova, or British athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, and the Rafa Nadal Foundation for the "Laureus Sport for Good Award," which Brazilian Bola Pra Frente also aspires to.