Barcelona president Laporta hails Messi after Asturias award win

Lionel Messi received Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on Friday during a ceremony in Oviedo. According to the New Straits Times and Free Malaysia Today, the 39-year-old Argentine forward was honored for his career and his work supporting access to education and health for disadvantaged children. During the event at the Teatro Campoamor, Messi collected a formal roll of parchment from Princess Leonor, the heir to the Spanish throne.

Princess Leonor praised Messi's unique career, stating that he turned the extraordinary into routine by reading the game and making effective decisions in fractions of a second while prioritizing the collective over ego. Barcelona president Joan Laporta congratulated Messi on the achievement, describing the win as a shared success, according to Ajel English.

Messi, who has won eight Ballon d'Or titles and a World Cup, spent 21 years at Barcelona before playing for Paris Saint-Germain and currently playing for Inter Miami. El Pais noted that Messi was among several figures, including Patti Smith and Studio Ghibli, to receive awards this Friday.

Brief written by urgent.news from Ajel English, New Straits Times, Free Malaysia Today, El Pais — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.