Lionel Messi has added yet another landmark honour to his extraordinary career after being named the winner of the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, one of Spain’s most prestigious distinctions.

The jury, chaired by Paralympic swimmer Teresa Perales, met in Oviedo, Spain, to select the Inter Miami forward from a pool of 28 international nominations. In announcing the decision, Perales highlighted Messi’s “dazzling talent,” his exceptional sporting career, and his “remarkable and ongoing charitable work to promote access to education and healthcare for underprivileged children.”

Messi’s sporting merits remain without parallel. With 47 trophies accumulated across 23 professional seasons, he is widely recognised as the most decorated footballer in history. The award also reflects his crowning achievement with the Argentina national team winning the 2022 World Cup which completed his trophy cabinet and cemented his status as the defining figure of his generation, a triumph paired with two Copa América titles.

By claiming the honour, Messi joins a distinguished list of previous recipients that includes Rafael Nadal, Michael Schumacher, Carl Lewis, and the 2010 Spain World Cup-winning squad. He is the first footballer to be honoured individually since Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernández shared the award in 2012.

The recognition came just days after Messi was included in the Argentina squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be the sixth World Cup of his illustrious career.

Barcelona were among the first to congratulate the 38-year-old, describing the award as “a well-deserved recognition of an extraordinary career, defined by your legendary legacy at Barça and a journey filled with success with our Club.”