Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year

The Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year is an annual award to honor an individual or team who have made a comeback in sports. First presented in 2000, it is one of the seven awards presented during the annual Laureus World Sports Awards^[1] of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a global organisation involved in more than 150 charity projects supporting 500,000 young people.^[2] The awards are considered highly prestigious and are frequently referred to as the sporting equivalent of the Oscars.^[3][4][5]

Each year, a panel composed of the "world's leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters" makes a shortlist of candidates, of which one winner is chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy.^[1] At the ceremony, which was first held on 25 May 2000 in Monte Carlo^[6] and since at various locations around the world, the winner receives a Laureus statuette created by Cartier.^[7]

The first winner of the award was American road cyclist Lance Armstrong, who had recovered from testicular cancer to win the 1999 Tour de France.^[8][9] After Armstrong admitted to doping in 2013,^[10] Laureus rescinded his awards and nominations.^[11] As of 2023^[update], the award has been won by a different individual sportsperson every year (seven to women, 17 to men), although elevens teams have been nominated – the England men's cricket team (2005), Miami Heat (2007), the Great Britain national rugby league team (2008), Crusaders (2012), Queensland Reds (2012), European Ryder Cup Team (2013), Germany Men's Olympic Eights Team (2013), Oracle Team USA (2014), FC Barcelona (2018), Chapecoense (2018) and Liverpool F.C. (2022). Tennis players dominate the winners list, with seven awards, while athletes, golfers and rugby union players have won twice. The 2026 winner of the award was the Northern Irish professional golfer Rory McIlroy.