Lionel Messi has become the first athlete to win both the World Sportsman of the Year and the World Team of the Year in the same year after scooping up the sensational double at the Laureus World Sports Awards. 

The 35-year-old Paris Saint-Germain superstar, who played a leading role in guiding Argentina to their first World Cup glory in 36 years, accepted the individual and team awards at a glittering ceremony in Paris on Monday night. 

Messi beat French wunderkind Kylian Mbappe, Dutch-Belgian racing driver Max Verstappen and Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal for the top individual honor. Meanwhile, his Argentina saw off England's Euro 2022-winning Lionesses, last season's Champions League winners Real Madrid and France's men's Six Nations champions.

"This is a special honor," said Messi. "Football has been a way of life for me. Sport in general unites people with values ... I want to thank all my teammates, not only from the national team but also at PSG - I have achieved none of this alone, and I am grateful to be able to share everything with them. 

"I was looking at the names of the incredible legends that won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award before me: Schumacher, Woods, Nadal, Federer, Bolt, Hamilton, Djokovic … it really sunk in what unbelievable company I'm in and what a unique honor this is." 

Sportswoman of the year went to Jamaican sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who was the first person to win five golds in an individual track event at the World Athletics Championships. 

"I was thrilled to be nominated alongside such inspiring women athletes, and to win this award, voted for by some of the greatest sportsmen and women of all time, is just amazing," she said. 

"This is the sixth time I've been nominated in this category, so to finally hold the Laureus statuette in my hands is one of the greatest honors of my career."

Chinese freestyle skier Gu Ailing, who claimed two gold medals and one silver at the Beijing Winter Olympics, was named the World Action Sportsperson of the Year. The awards are voted for by 71 members of the Laureus Academy, a selection of sporting greats. 

"Something really beautiful about it is that's an international panel and one that's comprised of athletes of different sports," said the 19-year-old Gu, who was the first freestyle skier to win three medals at one Olympics. 

"Obviously [they are] all very successful in their own right, but who really do recognize not only the hard work but also the discipline, the effort and what it takes to perform under pressure in the moment that counts."

"I think that is something that only athletes can really empathize with and understand on a personal level, and being recognized by a panel who knows what that means is very meaningful to me," she added. 

Gu ended the past World Cup season with a flawless record in women's halfpipe, becoming the first freestyle skier to win four consecutive World Cup events to secure her first crystal globe trophy. Last July, she was awarded Best Breakthrough Athlete and Best Female Action Sports Athlete at the 2022 ESPY Awards.

Other winners included Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen, who was presented with the Comeback of the Year following his return to football after collapsing on the pitch because of cardiac arrest during Euro 2020, and 19-year-old Spanish prospect Carlos Alcaraz, who became tennis' youngest world number one.

Full awards list: 

World Sportsman of the Year Award: Lionel Messi 

World Sportswoman of the Year Award: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 

World Team of the Year Award: Argentina Men's Football Team 

World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Gu Ailing 

World Breakthrough of the Year Award: Carlos Alcaraz 

World Comeback of the Year Award: Christian Eriksen 

World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award: Catherine Debrunner