Toni Kroos was already a World Cup winner with Germany and had won the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup with Bayern Munich before he joined Real Madrid in 2014. As half of a beautifully symbiotic midfield pairing with Luka Modrić, Kroos then added four La Liga titles and a further five Champions Leagues, among many more trophies. He retired a legend at the Bernabéu.

In 2015, he set up the Toni Kroos Foundation which supports seriously ill children, their families and the hospices that care for them in Germany. In Madrid, he opened in 2024 the Toni Kroos Academy, which provides a coaching programme with respect and responsibility at its core. 

On stage at the Awards, Kroos spoke passionately about the power of sport, receiving his Laureus statuette from a good friend Novak Djokovic:

"Just look around the room this evening – this gives the Laureus great value. So many inspiring people who achieved crazy things in their sport and they stay together for the same values, that’s pretty important. If we stand together for the right values – for peace, for respect – we can achieve a lot. We have legends here and young athletes and if we unite these generations then we can take a big step forward."