South American Footballer of the Year
Sánchez also scored one goal in the 2015 Suruga Bank Championship, netting the opener in a 3–0 win against Gamba Osaka. On 31 December 2015, he was named the South American Footballer of the Year, beating Carlos Tevez and Miller Bolaños and becoming the first Uruguayan to win the award after Enzo Francescoli in 1995.