Leo Messi awarded hugely prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, jury highlights his social impact
Messi is given one of the most prestigious recognitions in Spain.
Leo Messi has been awarded the prestigious Princess of Asturias award for Sports, an annual prize that recognises extraordinary achievements in sports, one that is given to athletes, teams, promoters or even entire competitions.
The 38-year-old Argentinian footballer, about to compete in his sixth World Cup, was chosen over 27 candidates from 12 countries. The jury chose Messi because "on a personal level, Messi has been a role model of overcoming adversity, after suffering from a growth disorder in childhood, and is considered a global icon in sports for his consistency, humility, and commitment to teamwork, according to his teammates".
Beyond sporting merits (like winning Ballon d'Or a record eight times between 2009 and 2023), the jury recognises that his contribution to sports has had a social impact, such as being a UNICEF ambassador (organisation that won the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord 2006) and his charitable work through the Leo Messi Foundation, dedicated to promoting access to education and health for children in vulnerable situations.
Other footballers who have won the Princess of Prince of Asturias Awards
Former winners of the Princess (or Prince) of Asturias Award for Sports include tennis player Serena Williams (who has announced her comeback at 44), Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge, the Olympic Refuge Foundation and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team in 2022, American skier Lindsey Vonn or badminton legend Carolina Marín.
Very few footballers have won the prize since it was first awarded in 1987: the Brazil national team that won World Cup in 2002, the Spanish national team that did the same in 2010, and a shared prize in 2012 between Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) and Xavi Hernández (from FC Barcelona) for their "conciliatory attitude that has smoothed out traditional differences between players and supporters", playing in rival clubs but winning together UEFA Euro 2012.
