Leo Messi receives 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for sporting excellence and low‑key charity work

Announcement in Oviedo

At noon on Wednesday, the jury of the Princess of Asturias Awards revealed at Oviedo’s Hotel Eurostars de La Reconquista that the 2026 sport laureate is Argentine footballer Lionel Messi. The award recognises his “dazzling talent, exceptional sporting career, and formidable, ongoing solidarity work to promote access to education and healthcare for disadvantaged children.” Messi, 38, becomes the latest in a line of illustrious athletes honoured by the foundation, this year’s choice emerging from 27 nominations across 12 nationalities.

A reserved icon

The prize has historically shied away from individual footballers. The only previous football honorees were the Brazilian and Spanish national teams, plus Xavi Hernández and Iker Casillas in 2012 for their peacemaking role during the Mourinho‑Guardiola tensions. Messi’s selection breaks that pattern. The Argentine, who turns 39 on 24 June, rarely grants interviews and lets his feet do the talking, yet the jury found his quiet character equally compelling.

Jury reasoning

Teresa Perales, the jury president and a celebrated Paralympic swimmer, said the debate was intense but ultimately united around the Argentine. “If we ask, nobody will be able to name a single negative gesture from him,” she said, praising his demeanour in a sport that “awakens many passions.” Joan Vehils, SPORT newspaper director and juror, called Messi “a charming person” whose shyness is disarming. “He doesn’t act like a superstar,” Vehils added, expressing confidence that Messi would travel to Oviedo for the 23 October ceremony. Paloma del Río, the jury secretary, noted the award’s potential to fill the local Carlos Tartiere stadium with children’s activities.

I think if we ask, nobody will be able to name a single negative gesture from the player.

The truth is he is a charming person. His shyness stands out, he doesn’t act like a superstar.

A résumé like no other

Messi’s playing record has no modern parallel. He has contested more than 1,000 professional matches, scored over 800 goals, and provided nearly 400 assists. His trophy cabinet includes about 50 club and international titles – among them a World Cup with Argentina, several Champions Leagues, and domestic leagues in Spain and France. Individually, he owns a record eight Ballon d’Or awards and six European Golden Boots. In 2012 he set an unmatched mark of 91 goals in a calendar year, breaking Gerd Müller’s 1972 total of 85.

Quiet charity

While the on‑field numbers are widely known, the jury paid equal attention to Messi’s off‑pitch work. Through his foundation and in private, he has funded education and health programmes for vulnerable children. Perales stressed that much of this activity remains deliberately low‑key. “He helps many people sometimes without us even knowing,” she noted. Journalist Vehils described a social commitment “perhaps a bit unknown, because he prefers it that way.”

He helps many people sometimes without us even knowing.

Ceremony plans

The Princess of Asturias Award for Sports is one of eight international honours conferred annually by the foundation, now in its 46th edition. Along with a diploma and a gold insignia, laureates receive a Joan Miró sculpture and €50,000. Messi is expected to collect the prize in person on 23 October in Oviedo, where officials hope the visit will inspire a city‑wide celebration.