The attention of sports fans all over the world will be focused on Madrid on April 20, when the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards take place at Cibeles Palace. The best athletes in the world – and the all-time legends of the Laureus World Sports Academy – will converge on Spain’s capital once again for the greatest show in sports.
Where better than one of the world’s leading sporting cities to celebrate the standout achievements and performances of 2025, whilst also championing the transformative effect that sport has in diverse communities across the world.
Madrid has become synonymous with international sporting excellence. Home of the Mutua Madrid Open – an unmissable stop on the tennis tour – and host of the climactic stage of cycling’s Vuelta a España, in September the capital will add to its calendar the first Formula 1 event in the city since 1981. The city also boasts an enviable basketball venue and multi-purpose space at the Movistar Arena, as well as a vast swimming complex that regularly hosts national and international meets.
Two of world football’s most significant organisations call the city home, drawing the eyes of the world’s sporting community on a weekly basis. Real Madrid, 15-time winners of the UEFA Champions League, are never far from the spotlight, uniting a global audience to watch the world’s best footballers take to the pitch at their futuristic Bernabéu stadium. Across the city, three-time UEFA Europa League winners Atlético de Madrid’s renovated Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium will host the 2027 Champions League final and is a potential host venue for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Since Madrid first hosted the Laureus Awards in 2024, the city has benefited greatly from the work of Laureus Sport for Good. A growing network of Laureus Ambassadors in Madrid has connected Laureus-supported programmes that work to better young lives in the City and region, offering educational opportunities and active engagement through sport. Real Madrid star and winner of the 2024 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award, Jude Bellingham, was announced as a Laureus Ambassador in September, when he joined local children for a team-building football workshop at Laureus-supported charity, Fútbol Más.
The 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards will once again unite the world’s sporting community, alongside some of the biggest names in entertainment, culture and fashion. The iconic Laureus statuette will be awarded to one winner in each of seven major categories. The winners will be selected by the ultimate sports jury: the Laureus World Sports Academy.
