Argentine football star Lionel Messi received the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports at a ceremony held Friday, October 23, at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, Spain.
The jury of the Princess of Asturias Foundation explained its decision, awarding Messi the prize “for his status as the most decorated player in the history of football, his exceptional sporting career, his dazzling talent and his ongoing charitable work to promote access to education and healthcare for the most disadvantaged children.”
The jury also praised the Argentine’s exemplary conduct, noting that he has won “the respect and admiration of the public and his peers through his consistency, humility and respect for team play.”
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Established in 1987, the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports recognizes individuals or institutions whose lives and work contribute to human achievement and the promotion of sport. The first recipient was Juan Antonio Samaranch, former president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Other prominent figures in international sport who have received the award include Hicham El Guerrouj, Severiano Ballesteros, Miguel Indurain, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
