Messi receives top Spanish award from heir to throne

On Friday, Lionel Messi, the 39-year-old Argentine footballer, was honored with Spain's most esteemed sports award, the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports. The prestigious award, established in 1981, is granted annually to individuals who contribute to enhancing human coexistence, solidarity, and global cooperation. Messi, widely regarded as the most successful footballer of all time, received the honor in recognition of his exceptional career and his dedication to aiding children in need of healthcare and education.

Dozens of fans sporting Argentina's colors gathered to cheer and shout Messi's name as he arrived at the ceremony in Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, a northern Spanish region. The Princess of Asturias, Princess Leonor, who is next in line for the Spanish throne, presented Messi with a formal roll of parchment. In her remarks, she commended Messi's "unique career," praising his ability to outshine his opponents by reading the game and making the optimal choice in a fraction of a second while maintaining the collective spirit above individual ego.

Leonor emphasized that Messi's impact transcends individual accolades, stating, "He turned the extraordinary into routine." The footballer, who spent 21 years at Barcelona and played in a team that dominated Spain and Europe under coaches Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, then transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for two years before joining Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

Messi, Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer, assist provider, and most capped player, announced his retirement from international football earlier this year after losing the World Cup final to Spain in New Jersey.

In a speech to children in Oviedo on Thursday, Messi stressed the importance of knowing how to lose and win, acknowledging that "the most important thing" in football is maintaining the right attitude. Other notable recipients of the Princess of Asturias Awards on Friday included British author Julian Barnes, US astronaut Christina Koch, and punk singer Patti Smith.