Lionel Messi received Spain’s top sports honor from Princess Leonor at the Campoamor Theatre, becoming the first footballer to win it on his own.
Tamrah News Desk | October 24, 2026
Lionel Messi received the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in Oviedo on Friday, October 23, becoming the first individual footballer to win the honor. According to AFP, Princess Leonor handed the Inter Miami forward a formal parchment at the Campoamor Theatre in recognition of his career and his work for children.
Messi Oviedo Ceremony Draws Royal Family and Fans
AFP reported that dozens of fans in Argentina shirts chanted Messi’s name as he arrived to the sound of bagpipes and drums. Goal reported that King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia presided over the gala inside the Campoamor Theatre, with Princess Leonor, Infanta Sofia and Queen Sofia also present. World Soccer Talk reported that Messi received a standing ovation but gave no speech at the Princess of Asturias Awards ceremony.
Goal reported that Messi reached Oviedo on Thursday with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and was welcomed by hundreds of supporters at the Hotel de la Reconquista. According to World Soccer Talk, he spent 36 hours in the city and skipped the cocktail after the ceremony to return to the United States. AFP added that Messi told an event with children in Oviedo on Thursday that knowing how to lose and how to win is fundamental in football.
Why Did Messi Win the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports?
FC Barcelona said the jury announced its decision on Wednesday, June 3. Inter Miami reported that the panel cited his record as the player with the most titles in football history, his talent and his charity work for children who need access to education and healthcare. The club said the jury also praised his consistency, humility and commitment to team play.
Ara reported that Messi was chosen from 27 other candidacies after a nomination by David González, president of a university triathlon club in Oviedo. That choice made the Princess of Asturias Award 2026 decision one of the more closely watched announcements of the year.
At the ceremony, Princess Leonor said Messi
“turned the extraordinary into routine,”
according to AFP. She added that he did so while placing the team above personal ego.
Who Else Has Won the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports?
ESPN reported that earlier recipients include Rafael Nadal, Michael Schumacher, Serena Williams and Eliud Kipchoge. ESPN also noted that Xavi Hernandez and Iker Casillas shared the 2012 award, while the Spanish national team won it in 2010. That history explains why Goal and Inter Miami both describe Messi as the first individual footballer to receive it.
World Soccer Talk counts Messi as the third soccer player to receive the award overall. AFP reported that the prize carries 50,000 euros and that the Princess of Asturias Awards, founded in 1981, are among the most prestigious in the Spanish speaking world.
Messi Dedicates Princess of Asturias Award 2026 Honour to His Father
Goal reported that Messi told EFE his father, Jorge, who died in August, was very happy when the selection was announced.
“He’s surely enjoying it, too,”
Messi said, according to Goal. In June, ESPN reported that Messi thanked supporters in a video from Argentina’s training camp in Kansas City, saying he was
“very happy, and very grateful.”
Career Record Behind the Princess of Asturias Awards Honour
ESPN reported that Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or titles, two consecutive MLS MVP awards and nine LaLiga MVP awards. According to ANI, he claimed 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies with Barcelona, plus the 2025 MLS Cup with Inter Miami. Ara reported that his World Cup win with Argentina came in 2022.
Goal reported that Messi has served as a UNICEF ambassador since 2010 and runs the Leo Messi Foundation, which supports education and healthcare for children in need. Ara reported that Patti Smith and Studio Ghibli were also honoured at the Oviedo ceremony.
Conclusion
The Messi Princess of Asturias Award story combines a record sporting career with sustained charity work, recognised in Oviedo by Princess Leonor and the Spanish royal family. As the first individual footballer to receive the honour, the Inter Miami captain joins a list that includes Nadal, Schumacher and Williams. Readers searching for the Princess of Asturias Awards 2026 winners, the Lionel Messi award in Oviedo or the Messi Campoamor Theatre ceremony will find confirmed details here as they emerge.
