Argentina's World Cup-winning midfielder Paulo Dybala was on Friday (April 18, 2025) announced as a Laureus Ambassador ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Laureus World Sports Awards. The 31-year-old began his new role with a visit to a 'Sport for Good' programme in Rome and will be in attendance at the awards ceremony in Madrid on Monday, April 21. (More Sports News)
The Argentine star won five Serie A titles with Juventus and the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in 2022. Dybala – who now plays for AS Roma – visited Calcio Insieme on Wednesday, a Rome-based project supported by the AS Roma Foundation, which uses football to help children with intellectual disabilities. More than 30 children and young adults were there to meet the new Laureus Ambassador.
Dybala said: “It is a huge honour to join Laureus as an Ambassador. I have been inspired to learn about the incredible work they do, and to see ‘sport for good’ in action during my visit to Calcio Insieme was a great experience. The Laureus mission, to use sport as a vehicle for societal change, is inspiring and I am looking forward to attending a special 25th anniversary Laureus Awards in Madrid in the company of many sporting legends.”
Joining the winger at this year’s awards show will be a number of champions, including Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal. Nadal brought his illustrious career to a close in 2024 after 22 Grand Slams (including 14 French Open titles), two Olympic gold medals and 81 consecutive matches unbeaten on clay.
Nadal has also completed a ‘Laureus Slam’ as the only athlete to win Breakthrough of the Year, Comeback of the Year, Sportsman of the Year and the Laureus Sport for Good Award.
This year’s event will be hosted by ski titan Lindsey Vonn, who won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award in 2011 and picked up the Spirit of Sport Award eight years later. Vonn, who hosted the virtual awards in Seville in 2022, launched a daring comeback in December at the age of 40 and secured her first World Cup podium finish in Idaho last month.
Vonn, one of the 69 sporting figures whose votes determine the winners of the awards, said: “It is a huge thrill to host the awards once again. I enjoyed the experience virtually three years ago in Seville, but this time it will be even more special with everyone actually in attendance.
"I’ve been on both sides of the coin, thankfully I know what it’s like to win a Laureus award, and I also know what it’s like to vote. Having this perspective makes me appreciate how special Laureus is even more. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Madrid! Vamos!”
Joining the nominees, ambassadors and academy members will be sports fans from fashion, film and entertainment. To check out the list of those attending, click HERE. The full list of nominees can be found HERE.
