Lionel Messi received the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in Oviedo on Friday evening, becoming the first footballer in history to win one of Spain's most prestigious honours as an individual.
The Inter Miami captain was presented with the award by Princess Leonor at the Teatro Campoamor, in a ceremony presided over by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo watching from the audience. The jury, which chose Messi from 27 candidates of 12 nationalities when the award was announced in June, cited him "for being the player who has won the most titles in the history of football; for his exceptional sporting career, dazzling talent, and continued charitable work to promote access to education and healthcare for the most disadvantaged children; and for earning everyone's respect and admiration through his consistency, humility, and commitment to the collective game." Football had been honoured before — Brazil's 2002 World Cup winners, Spain's 2010 team, and Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernández jointly in 2012 — but never a single player alone. The prize includes a Joan Miró sculpture, a diploma, an insignia and 50,000 euros.
"I'm very happy and excited to receive this award, which goes beyond sports," Messi said. "I know the significance of this award because I lived in Spain for more than 20 years, and I know what this recognition means."
A homecoming in Oviedo
Messi arrived in Asturias on Thursday from Miami and was greeted by crowds and Asturian bagpipes outside the Hotel de la Reconquista, where he signed autographs and met schoolchildren before the ceremony. In interviews with EFE ahead of the event, the 39-year-old called Barcelona "the club of my life," named his two goals in Argentina's 2022 World Cup final as the most important of his career, and paid tribute to his father Jorge, who died in August and who, Messi said, was "very happy" about the award. He also reflected on Argentina's extra-time defeat to Spain in this year's World Cup final, accepting it as part of the journey: "I never stopped trying to win everything that lay ahead of me."
Barcelona, where Messi scored 672 goals in 778 matches and won 35 trophies across 17 first-team seasons, congratulated its former captain for a recognition of "an inseparable bond." An eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and the most decorated player in football history, Messi was due to fly straight back across the Atlantic on Friday night to rejoin Inter Miami for their match against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.
Why it matters
The Princess of Asturias Awards are often described as the Nobel Prizes of the Spanish-speaking world, honouring achievement across the arts, sciences and public life. Giving the sports prize to a single footballer for the first time formalises something stadiums decided long ago — and, by citing his foundation's work for children's education and healthcare alongside his records, frames Messi's legacy as one measured off the pitch as well as on it.
Reporting based on the Princess of Asturias Foundation, EFE and Inter Miami CF.