Messi Receives 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports

Argentina and Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi has received the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports at a ceremony in Oviedo, Spain, adding one of the country’s most prestigious international honours to a career defined by major trophies, individual records and contributions beyond football.

The 39-year-old received the award from Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, at the Campoamor Theatre on Friday, October 23. The jury had announced him as the winner on June 3, citing his exceptional sporting achievements and sustained charitable work to improve access to education and healthcare for disadvantaged children.

Messi is the first footballer to receive the distinction individually, according to the Princess of Asturias Foundation and his club, Inter Miami. Football has previously been recognised through the award, including when Spain’s Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernández were honoured jointly in 2012 and when Brazil’s men’s national team received it in 2002.

The foundation’s jury described Messi as the most successful footballer in history in terms of titles won, while also highlighting his consistency, humility, conduct on the pitch and commitment to collective play. Its citation placed particular emphasis on his work through the Leo Messi Foundation, which supports initiatives aimed at improving education and healthcare for children in vulnerable circumstances.

Messi’s achievements on the pitch include eight Ballon d’Or awards and leading Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He spent more than two decades at Barcelona, where he won 35 trophies between 2005 and 2021, before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. He joined Inter Miami in 2023, helping raise the club’s profile and contributing to its first major titles.

His international career with Argentina has also brought two Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup, completing a long pursuit of football’s biggest international prize. The Princess of Asturias Foundation’s official profile lists 47 titles in his career, reflecting its assessment of his extensive record across club and international football.

The award carries a €50,000 cash prize, a diploma, an insignia and a sculpture by Spanish artist Joan Miró. Established in 1981, the Princess of Asturias Awards recognise outstanding contributions across fields including sport, the arts, science, literature and international cooperation. The sports category specifically honours careers that promote the development of sport and demonstrate its wider social value.

Messi’s selection places both his competitive achievements and his charitable activities at the centre of the recognition. Through his foundation, he has supported programmes focused on children’s health and education, complementing a sporting legacy built across Barcelona, Argentina and now Major League Soccer in the United States.

The distinction also highlights how the international recognition of elite athletes increasingly extends beyond results and records. For Messi, whose career has connected European club football, Argentina’s national team and the growing profile of the game in North America, the award acknowledges a sporting journey alongside the social commitments that the jury considered an important part of his legacy.