Paulo Dybala announced Laures ambassador ahead of 25th World Sports Award anniversary

Madrid [Spain]: Paulo Dybala, the Argentine World Cup winner, has today been announced as a Laureus Ambassador. The 31-year-old initiated his new role with a visit to a Laureus Sport for Good programme in Rome and will be in attendance at the 25th anniversary Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid on Monday.

Dybala won five Serie A titles with Juventus and the World Cup with Argentina in 2022. The Argentine star, 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.

Paulo Dybala said, as quoted by the Laureus Sports press release, “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 Dybala at this year’s Awards show will be a host of champions, including Spanish sporting hero 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 legend Lindsey Vonn, who won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award in 2011 and picked up the Laureus 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, a Member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the 69 sporting legends 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 Laureus even more. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Madrid! Vamos!” (ANI)

Also Read: Rafael Nadal to be honoured with ceremony at this year’s French Open following his retirement from tennis

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