Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi received the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on Friday. The award, presented by the heir to the Spanish throne, honors individuals and organizations worldwide for their notable contributions to the sciences, humanities or public affairs.
The Argentine legend was recognized for his record-breaking football career, his social work through the Leo Messi Foundation, and his role as a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ambassador.
In its verdict, the jury that selected the footballer — who recently retired as Argentina captain — praised not only his “dazzling talent” but also his “remarkable and ongoing charitable work to promote access to education and health care for the most disadvantaged children.”
They also highlighted his “exemplary conduct on the field and his perseverance, humility and commitment to team play.”
Honoring his father
Messi said the prize would hold a special place in his already crowded trophy cabinet.
“My dad was very excited about this award,” he told the EFE news agency ahead of the ceremony on Thursday, about the moment the winners were announced in June of this year. “He insisted that we come because of what it means, because it goes beyond what one does on the pitch. He was very happy with this recognition, so he is surely enjoying it too.”
Jorge Messi died in August of this year, just days after Argentina lost the final of the 2026 World Cup to Spain, after suffering from an undisclosed prolonged illness and health complications that lasted several weeks.
Messi was received on Friday by Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, ahead of the awarding ceremony. He was accompanied by his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo.
The 2022 World Cup winner became the first Argentine athlete to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports and the first footballer to do so since Spain’s Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernández received it in 2012.
He joins other major sports figures who have previously received the award, including United States tennis star Serena Williams, German racing driver Michael Schumacher and U.S. basketball legend Michael Jordan.
La entrada Messi wins Princess of Asturias award for sporting, humanitarian work se publicó primero en Buenos Aires Herald.