Argentina’s football legend Lionel Messi has been named winner of the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, one of Spain’s most prestigious awards, for his outstanding football career and his charity work with underprivileged youngsters.
The Inter Miami forward won the trophy in Oviedo, in northern Spain, on Friday, October 23, at the 46th edition of the Princess of Asturias Awards that honour achievements in sports, science, culture and humanitarian activity.
The award was announced June 3 by the Princess of Asturias Foundation. Messi was chosen by an international panel that cited his remarkable sporting achievements, consistency, humility and devotion to team, as well as his initiatives to provide access to education and health care for disadvantaged children.
The Argentine star was in attendance at the event to a warm greeting from supporters who turned out in their droves to greet him in Oviedo. Spain’s Princess Leonor also met with Messi and other prize winners ahead of the main ceremony, to present them with the insignia that comes with their awards.
Messi’s honour is proof of a career that has put him among the most decorated players in the game. During his career with Barcelona, he won numerous local and European medals, including four UEFA Champions League crowns and 10 La Liga victories. He then played for Paris Saint-Germain, before joining Major League Soccer team Inter Miami.
Internationally, Messi lead Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and also won the Copa América. The individual accolades have also mounted with a record eight Ballon d’Or honours, further cementing his place in the annals of the sport.
The Princess of Asturias Foundation also awarded Messi for his humanitarian work through the Leo Messi Foundation, which supports projects to improve access to health care and education for youngsters. He has also been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2010.
The prize is sometimes referred to in the international media as Spain’s version of the Nobel Prize, due to its international prominence and vast variety of categories. But formally it’s the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports and is independent from the Nobel Prizes.
Each Princess of Asturias Award consists of a sculpture sculpted by Joan Miró, a certificate, an insignia and a financial prize of 50,000 euros.
Messi’s recent triumph adds to a haul of individual and team awards collected over two decades and acknowledges not only his excellence on the pitch, but his contribution to society through philanthropic activities.
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