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The 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports was conferred upon Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi in Oviedo, Spain on 23rd October 2026. Messi is the first ever footballer to be honored with this award as an individual since before this, the national football team of Spain was bestowed with this award in 2010 and then players Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernandez were awarded this honor together in 2012. The jury appreciated Messi’s illustrious career in football, his sportsmanship and humanitarian work towards needy children.
Why Did Lionel Messi Win the Prize?
According to the award jury, Messi was chosen as the winner of the 2026 award on 3 June 2026 from a total of 27 nominations of 12 different nationalities. They took into consideration his exceptional sporting career, consistency, humility, dedication to teamwork, and continuous charitable activity towards ensuring that disadvantaged children have access to education and healthcare.
The sports-related accomplishments of Messi include,
- Winning the FIFA World Cup in the year 2022 with Argentina.
- Winning four UEFA Champions League titles with the FC Barcelona.
- Winning 10 La Liga titles with the FC Barcelona.
- Becoming the holder of the Ballon d’Or award eight times.
- Winning six European Golden Shoes.
Having won 47 titles with teams, as mentioned by the citation for the Princess of Asturias Award.
Furthermore, he has also been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2010 and set up the Leo Messi Foundation.
What Is the Princess of Asturias Award?
The Princess of Asturias Awards are conferred on an annual basis through the Princess of Asturias Foundation in Spain. These awards were founded in 1981 under the name of Prince of Asturias Awards to recognize meritorious achievements of people and organizations in various disciplines.
These awards fall into the eight different categories,
- Arts
- Literature
- Communication and Humanities
- Social Sciences
- Technical and Scientific Research
- International Cooperation
- Concord
- Sports
These awards are generally conferred in the month of October at the Teatro Campoamor, Oviedo, which is the capital city of Asturias. These awards comprise a sculpture by Joan Miró, a diploma, insignia and a cash reward of €50,000.
History of Football in the Awards
The nomination of Messi is very important because it represents a turning point in the history of individual football players in the awards. The sport has been part of other events in the past through national teams as well as star footballers.
They are,
- 2002: Brazil men’s national football team Princess of Asturias Award for Sports
- 2010: Spain men’s national football team Princess of Asturias Award for Sports
- 2012: Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernández Sports Award winners
- 2026: Lionel Messi First individual footballer to be recognized
Messi’s association with Spain is quite important. He migrated to Barcelona in Spain from Argentina when he was 13 years old. He stayed more than two decades in Barcelona before he left the club in 2021. He then transferred to Paris Saint-Germain and later signed with Inter Miami of MLS.
