Messi Receives Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in Oviedo, First Footballer to Win It Alone

Lionel Messi received the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on Friday, October 23, at the Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo. Princess Leonor presented the award at a ceremony presided over by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. Infanta Sofia and Queen Sofia also attended.

At 39, Messi became the first footballer to win the award on his own. Earlier football honors went to teams or shared recipients. Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernandez won jointly in 2012, and the Spain national team won in 2010. No footballer had taken the sports award alone.

What the jury cited

The jury announced its decision on June 3, 2026. It valued Messi for a unique career at the elite level, as the footballer with the most titles in history. The jury also cited his spirit of self-improvement, his fair play and his humility. It pointed to his commitment to collective play over individual brilliance, in a career with eight Ballon d'Or wins. It also recognized the Leo Messi Foundation work on health and education projects for children and young people in vulnerable situations.

Princess Leonor, in her remarks at the ceremony, described Messi in terms close to that citation. She said he had made the extraordinary part of his routine, reading the game and choosing the most effective option in tenths of a second, while respecting the collective nature of the sport above personal ego. Messi gave no speech, in line with the Foundation format reported before the event.

A full day in Oviedo

Messi arrived in Oviedo the day before the ceremony. On Thursday, October 22, 2026, he held a talk with schoolchildren and students, and he dined with the King and Queen of Spain.

On Friday, October 23, 2026, at midday, Princess Leonor received the laureates at the Hotel de la Reconquista. There they received the Medal of Asturias and posed for the official photo. The evening ceremony followed at Teatro Campoamor, starting at 18:30 CEST. The award itself includes a Joan Miro sculpture, a diploma, an insignia and 50,000 euros.

Reaction and the other laureates

FC Barcelona issued an official statement moments after Messi collected the prize. The club said: "Congratulations to Lionel Messi on receiving the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sport, a well-deserved recognition of your exceptional talent, which has left an everlasting mark on and off the pitch, and made you a role model in the world of football thanks to your excellence, your commitment to sport and your solidarity."

Ole reported the ceremony ended with Messi and the other laureates leaving the theatre in a line to standing applause. His wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, was among those present.

The other 2026 laureates honored at the same ceremony were Patti Smith for Arts, Julian Barnes for Literature, Christina Koch for Concord, Timothy Garton Ash for Social Sciences, Studio Ghibli for Communication and Humanities, and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault for International Cooperation.

Ahead of the ceremony, Messi had spoken to Spanish news agency EFE in Oviedo about receiving the honor. He was expected to travel directly from Spain to New York for Inter Miami's MLS match against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, October 24, 2026.