Mexican Flag Football Star Victoria Chávez Wins Athlete of the Year
Credit: victoria_chavez22 Instagram
Mexican national football team wide receiver Victoria Chávez has won The World Games Athlete of the Year 2025 award!
Chávez was instrumental in Mexico’s gold medal at The World Games, making the winning catch as time expired, and came out on top against different athletes from different disciplines in the voting.
Fans vote for the award, and Chávez amassed 50,537 votes, which put her ahead of German DanceSport pair Marius Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska (43,528 votes), and fellow Mexican Laura Burgos, a Muaythai athlete (29,753 votes).
“This is a dream for me,” said Chávez. “I never imagined living all of this. Two years ago, I was in a hospital bed not knowing if I would return to the field. Being here today, experiencing all of this with my team, surpasses any dream I had imagined. The most beautiful thing about representing Mexico is carrying the dream of so many hearts. Knowing that Mexico supports and backs us gives us a thousand reasons not to give up, and it is also very special to see what Mexico represents on a global level and how much other countries appreciate Mexicans.
”Chávez became the face of The World Games in Chengdu, China, as Mexico claimed victory on the last play. It was a storybook ending, as she caught a pass from quarterback Diana Flores at the last second to secure a win against the United States.
IFAF President Pierre Trochet said, “Victoria’s achievement on the final play of the gold medal game was a thrilling end to the Flag Football tournament in Chengdu and everyone within IFAF is delighted she has achieved this additional success. It speaks volumes that sports fans around the world who were captivated by Victoria’s performances and perhaps discovered flag football for the first time chose to vote for her.”
