Lionel Messi, the Argentine football star now with Inter Miami, has become the first football player to win the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on his own.
Asked in an interview with Spain's EFE news agency on the 23rd, Korean time, how he wants to be remembered, Messi said he wants to be remembered as a great sportsman who always fought for his goals and dreams.
The interview came a day before the 2026 Princess of Asturias Awards ceremony, held at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, Spain, in the early hours of the 24th, Korean time. Messi, who arrived in Asturias by private jet, attended a special event with about 5,000 local children ahead of the official ceremony.
At the gathering, Messi shared his views on what competition is really about. "The most important thing is knowing how to lose," he said. "You may or may not achieve your goals, but you have to be able to feel satisfied that you gave everything you had."
He also pointed to unequal access to opportunity. Many players with outstanding talent drop out along the way because they never get a chance, Messi said, stressing the need for greater support at the youth level.
Known as Spain's version of the Nobel Prize, the Princess of Asturias Awards honor individuals and organizations each year for outstanding achievement in eight categories, including the arts, literature, science and sports. They are among Europe's most prestigious prizes.
When the winner was announced in June, the jury cited not only Messi's talent and singular career but also his sustained charitable work to improve access to education and health care for disadvantaged children.
Football has been recognized in the sports category before, but as a group: Brazil's national team in 2002 and Spain's national team in 2010, along with the joint award to Spain's Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernandez in 2012. Messi is the first individual player to win it alone.
Messi said he was honored to join a list of legends including Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal in tennis, badminton player Carolina Marin, marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge, skier Lindsey Vonn, the Gasol brothers in basketball and Michael Schumacher in motorsport.