Messi receives Spain's prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for Sports
Football magician Lionel Messi has been honoured with Spain's prestigious international honour, the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports. The Argentine star received the award in recognition of his humanitarian work beyond the football field as well.
Messi received the award from Princess Leonor at a colourful, royal ceremony at the historic Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo.
Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were also present at the ceremony. The entire theatre hall echoed with applause from hundreds of fans and admirers.
That emotion and excitement spread as far as Argentina, where his fans see the honour as a matter of pride of their own.
A four-time UEFA championship winner, a world champion and a two-time Copa America winner, Messi has made almost every record in football his own. His list of on-field achievements is so long that another honour feels like a continuation of the same story.
But it was not only his success on the field — the jury board also gave special importance to his social and humanitarian activities, and that side featured prominently in the reasoning for the award.
Through the Leo Messi Foundation and as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, his outstanding contribution to ensuring education and healthcare for underprivileged children has been praised around the world.
He also recently made a large donation toward rebuilding areas of Spain damaged by wildfires, which has brought him even closer to the Spanish people.
After receiving the award, Messi rushed straight to Asturias airport, from where he was due to travel directly to New York.
In New York, he is scheduled to play his next Major League Soccer match in the Inter Miami jersey — meaning the football magician must return to preparations on the field before the glow of the honour has even faded.
