The “Albiceleste” closed with 49 votes in the 60th edition of the Survey and became unreachable for its escort, the Cuban Baseball5 team (which was voted by 35 media outlets), champion in the Hong Kong 2024 World Cup, in a section where 10 other teams got at least one vote.
The Argentine team had previously won the 1986, 1991, 2001, 2008, 2014, 2021 and 2022 editions of the Prensa Latina Sports Survey.
The main merit of the Argentine team was the title in the America’s Cup, held in the middle of the year in the United States, where they were undefeated after beating Colombia in the final in extra time.
That was the second consecutive title in the main continental soccer tournament for the team, led by star Lionel Messi and whose bulk of players have won the title in the 2022 Qatar World Cup and in the 2023 Finalissima.
This victory confirms the South Americans as the second most successful in the collective section of the Survey, behind the Brazilian soccer team, awarded nine times, and ahead of the volleyball team of Brazil (men) and Cuba (women), who have won the award four times.
The Prensa Latina Sports Survey was launched in 1964, when Cuban sprinter Enrique Figuerola was the first winner. The category of Best Team of the Year was included in 1980, while the best athletes began to be chosen separately by gender in 1988.
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