OVIEDO: Lionel Messi received Spain’s most prestigious sports award on Friday in recognition of his illustrious career and his work to improve disadvantaged children’s access to healthcare and education.
The 39-year-old Argentine forward was named the winner of the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in June, with the jury hailing him as “the most successful footballer of all time” and recognising his social work.
Dozens of fans wearing Argentina football shirts cheered and chanted Messi’s name as he arrived at the ceremony in Oviedo, the capital of the northern Spanish region of Asturias, to the sound of bagpipes and drums.
Messi received a formal parchment from Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne and namesake of the awards, who praised his “unique career”.
“He turned the extraordinary into routine by reading the game and deciding on the most effective option in fractions of a second, while respecting the collective essence above ego,” Leonor said.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or titles, a World Cup and dozens of trophies at club level.
He spent 21 years at Barcelona, where he played in a side that dominated Spanish and European football under Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.
After leaving the Catalan club in 2021, Messi spent two years at French giants Paris Saint-Germain before joining Inter Miami, where he currently plays in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer, assist provider and most-capped player called time on his international career earlier this year after losing the World Cup final to Spain in New Jersey.
“The most important thing is to know how to lose and how to win,” Messi told an event with children in Oviedo on Thursday, describing that attitude as “fundamental” in football.
Founded in 1981, the Princess of Asturias Awards are among the most prestigious honours in the Spanish-speaking world and come with prize money of 50,000 euros (US$56,000).
The awards recognise achievements in the arts, sciences and sports, among other fields, and are presented annually in recognition of efforts to promote human coexistence, solidarity and global cooperation.
British author Julian Barnes, pioneering US astronaut Christina Koch and punk star Patti Smith were among the other laureates who received their awards on Friday.
Previous recipients of the sports award include tennis greats Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, marathon record-holder Eliud Kipchoge and US skier Lindsey Vonn.