Lionel Messi received the “Princess of Asturias“ Award for Sports at a ceremony in Oviedo, the capital of the Spanish region of Asturias. The award was presented by Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, in front of an audience that welcomed the Argentine footballer with applause and chants.
Messi was announced as the winner of the award in June. The jury cited his exceptional career and his work to ensure access to healthcare and education for disadvantaged children. In its citation, it defined the Argentine as “the most successful footballer of all time“.
In presenting the award, Princess Leonor highlighted his “unique career“. Messi was presented with an official scroll of parchment, and dozens of fans in Argentina jerseys cheered him on his arrival to the sound of bagpipes and drums.
A career with eight “Ballon d“s
The 39-year-old Messi has won eight “Ballon d“s, the World Cup with Argentina and dozens of club trophies. He spent 21 years at Barcelona, where he played during the team's successful periods under Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.
After leaving the Catalan club in 2021, the Argentine played two seasons for Paris Saint-Germain and is now a player for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. He is also Argentina's all-time top scorer.
During a meeting with children in Oviedo, Messi spoke about the attitude towards winning and losing. "The most important thing is to know how to lose and how to win," the footballer said, defining this as fundamental to sport.
Award with a prize fund of 50,000 euros
The “Princess of Asturias“ Awards were established in 1981 and are awarded for achievements in the arts, sciences and sports, as well as for contributions to solidarity and global cooperation. The cash prize for each award is 50,000 euros.
Previous winners of the sports award include tennis players Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge and American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn.
Sources: bta.bg, afp.com