Best International Athlete ESPY Award
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox award
| name = Best International Athlete ESPY Award
| current_awards =
| image =
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| awarded_for = Best International Athlete
| presenter = ESPN
| country =
| location = Los Angeles (2017)
| year = 2006
| year2 =
| holder = {{flagicon|FRA}} Kylian Mbappé
(1st award)
| most_awards = {{flagicon|POR}} Cristiano Ronaldo
(4 awards)
| website = {{URL|http://www.espn.co.uk/espys/}}
}}
The Best International Athlete ESPY Award is an award given to the sportsperson adjudged to have been the best or most outstanding of those born outside, or not possessing citizenship, of the United States who contest a major international sport in a given calendar year. From 2008 to 2009, the award was split into Best Female International Athlete ESPY Award and Best Male International Athlete ESPY Award.{{cite web|title=All-Time ESPY Winners|website=ESPN MediaZone |url=https://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2010/06/all_tme_espy_winners/|access-date=7 May 2018|date=24 June 2010}} The women's version of the award for 2008 and 2009 were presented to Mexican professional golfer Lorena Ochoa. The award was discontinued after 2009, but was reinstated in 2012.
In 2018, the award was restricted to soccer and renamed Best International Men's Soccer Player, and a women's version of the award, also specific to soccer, was introduced at that time. Eligibility was still based on citizenship, regardless of the player's club affiliation. The 2018 and 2019 awards for the women's version were given to Australian soccer player Sam Kerr. The award's name was changed again in 2021 to Best International Athlete, Men's Soccer, with the women's award undergoing an identical name change. The eligibility criteria also changed; both awards are now presented to soccer players who play at club level outside the United States, without regard to citizenship. The 2021 women's version of this award, and the first under the current eligibility criteria, was presented to Sam Mewis, an American who played her club soccer at Manchester City.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/media/2021/07/10/espys-2021-all-winners-espn-espy-awards-show/7928155002/|title=All the winners from the 2021 ESPY Awards|date=11 July 2021|work=USA Today|language=en}}
Balloting for the award was conducted over the Internet by fans from amongst choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee. The ESPY Awards ceremony has been conducted in June or July since the 2002 ceremony; all awards conferred in that period reflect performance and achievement over the twelve months previous to presentation, which may span one or two seasons depending upon the recipient's particular sport. The award wasn't awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
List of winners
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+ Best International Athlete ESPY Award winners |
| scope="col"| Year
!scope="col" class="unsortable"| Image !scope="col"| Sportsperson !scope="col"| Nation of birth !scope="col"| Team !scope="col"| Competition, !scope="col"| Sport !scope="col" class="unsortable"| Ref |
|---|
| 2006
|File:Pujols hits home run in 2008.jpg !scope="row"| {{sortname|Albert|Pujols}} |{{DOM}} |
| 2007
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Roger|Federer}} |{{CHE}} |{{n/a}} |
| 2008
|File:Nadal 2008 Sony Ericsson Open.jpg !scope="row"| {{sortname|Rafael|Nadal}} |{{ESP}} |{{n/a}} |{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.in/espn/news/story?id=3493330|website=ESPN|title=ESPY Award winners|date=17 July 2008}} |
| 2009
|File:Usain Bolt 16082009 Berlin.JPG !scope="row"| {{sortname|Usain|Bolt}} |{{JAM}} |{{n/a}} |{{n/a}} |
| 2012
|File:Sergio Agüero (L), Lionel Messi (R) - Switzerland vs. Argentina, 29th February 2012.jpg !scope="row"| {{sortname|Lionel|Messi}} |{{ARG}} |
| 2013
|File:Usain Bolt (9391712915).jpg !scope="row"| {{sortname|Usain|Bolt}} (2) |{{JAM}} |{{n/a}} |{{n/a}} |
| 2014
|File:Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid 28 September 2013 a.JPG !scope="row"| {{sortname|Cristiano|Ronaldo}} |{{POR}} |
| 2015
|File:2015 UEFA Super Cup 83.jpg !scope="row"| {{sortname|Lionel|Messi}} (2) |{{ARG}} |
| 2016
|File:Cristiano Ronaldo entrenando (crop).jpg !scope="row"| {{sortname|Cristiano|Ronaldo}} (2) |{{POR}} |
| 2017
|File:Usain Bolt London 2017.jpg !scope="row"| {{sortname|Usain|Bolt}} (3) |{{JAM}} |{{n/a}} |{{n/a}} |{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.in/espn/story/_/id/19974721/2017-espys-award-winners|title =Full list of 2017 ESPYS winners|date= 13 July 2017|website = ESPN}} |
| 2018
|File:Cristiano Ronaldo entrenando (crop).jpg !scope="row"|{{sortname|Cristiano|Ronaldo}} (3) |{{POR}} |
| 2019
|File:2015 UEFA Super Cup 83.jpg !scope="row"|{{sortname|Lionel|Messi}} (3) |{{ARG}} |
| class="sortbottom"
|2020 | colspan=7 align=center|Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021
|File:Cristiano Ronaldo entrenando (crop).jpg !scope="row"|{{sortname|Cristiano|Ronaldo}} (4) |{{POR}} | {{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/media/2021/07/10/espys-2021-all-winners-espn-espy-awards-show/7928155002/|title=All the winners from the 2021 ESPY Awards|date=11 July 2021|work=USA Today|language=en}} |
| 2022
!scope="row"|{{sortname|Kylian|Mbappé}} |{{FRA}} |
See also
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{ESPYs}}
{{ESPY International Athlete}}
Category:Awards established in 2006