The Princess of Asturias Award has been added to Lionel Messi's extensive list of accolades. The football star from Argentina received the 2026 Sports prize recently, acknowledging both his athletic skill and charitable activities via his foundation.
Princess Leonor gave the award to Messi at the Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo, Spain. "The award was given to Messi for his sporting excellence and humanitarian work through his foundation," the Princess stated. He becomes the initial footballer to gain this distinguished award individually.
A landmark number of awards
The new prize marks a significant career achievement for the player. His collection of individual trophies is vast. Among them are multiple Ballon d'Or wins, several European Golden Boot awards, and FIFA World Cup Golden Ball accolades. He has also been recognized as the planet's top player on a number of occasions and earned the Pichichi trophy as the leading scorer in Spain's top division numerous times.
His impact at the club he represented for many years is also deep. After relocating from Rosario to become part of FC Barcelona's youth setup as a teenager, Messi remained with the Spanish club for 17 years. In that time, he aided the team in securing a notable number of major trophies. His performance was so reliable that he earned the Man of the Match distinction in a large proportion of his matches for the club.
While Messi's accomplishments establish an international benchmark, Notts County's attention turns back to League One competition. The Magpies' forthcoming test is a home match versus Stockport County on Saturday.
First reported at LiveScore
