Argentine football star Lionel Messi received the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on Friday, Spain’s highest sporting honor, in recognition of his remarkable career and his initiatives aimed at helping disadvantaged children gain access to healthcare and education.
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The 39-year-old Argentine forward was selected for the award in June, with the jury describing him as “the most successful footballer of all time” and praising his social contributions.
Dozens of fans wearing Argentina national team shirts greeted Messi with chants of his name as he arrived at the awards ceremony in Oviedo, the capital of Asturias in northern Spain, accompanied by the sounds of bagpipes and drums.
Messi received the official award certificate from Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne and the namesake of the awards, who praised his “unique” career.
“He has turned the extraordinary into the ordinary by reading the game and making the most effective decision within fractions of a second, while prioritizing teamwork over ego,” Leonor said.
Messi is regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history. He has won a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, lifted the World Cup and claimed dozens of club titles.
The Argentine spent 21 years at Barcelona, where he was part of a team that dominated Spanish and European football under coaches Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.
After leaving the Catalan club in 2021, Messi spent two seasons with French side Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Inter Miami, where he currently plays in Major League Soccer.
Messi, Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and record holder for international assists and appearances, announced earlier this year that he would end his international career after losing the World Cup final to Spain in New Jersey.
“The most important thing is knowing how to lose and how to win,” Messi said during an event with children in Oviedo on Thursday, describing that mindset as “essential” in football.
The Princess of Asturias Awards were established in 1981 and are among the most prestigious honors in the Spanish-speaking world. Each award carries a cash prize of €50,000 (about $56,000).
The awards cover fields including the arts, sciences and sports, and are presented annually to recognize efforts to promote human coexistence, solidarity and cooperation worldwide.
British writer Julian Barnes, American astronaut Christina Koch and punk music icon Patti Smith were among the other recipients who received their awards on Friday.
Previous winners of the Sports Award include tennis stars Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, Kenyan marathon champion and record holder Eliud Kipchoge, and American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn.
