"It is recognised not only for what I do on the pitch but also off the pitch." That line from Lionel Messi says everything about why this particular award matters — and why it's different from the eight Ballon d'Ors sitting in whatever room he keeps them in.
Messi has been awarded the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, becoming the first footballer in the history of the prize to receive it. The jury, which included foundation president Teresa Perales, voted unanimously to give him the honour — one of the most prestigious international recognitions in sport, awarded not just for performance but for values, inspiration, and social contribution.
Why this one stands apart
Messi has won practically everything football can offer. World Cup. Copa America — twice. Olympic gold. Nine La Liga MVP awards. Two MLS MVPs. The list is long enough that new additions barely register as news anymore.
But the Princess of Asturias Award isn't handed out for a hat-trick or a dribble. It's given to people who've shaped sport and society together. The fact that no footballer had ever won it before Messi — not Pelé, not Cruyff, not Ronaldo — gives you a sense of the bar being cleared here.
He turns 38 this summer and is still playing MLS football in Miami. His competitive career is in its final chapter, which makes this feel like the sport starting to take stock of what he actually meant beyond the goals.
The off-pitch story that often gets overlooked
Messi's humanitarian work has quietly run alongside his playing career for years. The Leo Messi Foundation has funded healthcare, education, and sport access projects across multiple countries. It rarely generates the same column inches as a transfer rumour, but it's been consistent — and that consistency is exactly what this award recognises.
"I am very happy and very grateful," he said. For someone who has said those words after receiving almost every honour football has to offer, the sincerity here felt genuine. This one wasn't about football. And that, for Messi, is clearly the point.
