Messi receives the highest sports honor in Spain

Argentinian star Lionel Messi received the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on Friday, which is considered the highest sports honor in Spain, in recognition of his illustrious career and his initiatives aimed at providing healthcare and education for underprivileged children.

The 39-year-old player was selected for the award last June, with the jury praising him as “the greatest football player of all time,” expressing appreciation for his social efforts.

Messi was greeted by dozens of fans wearing Argentina national team shirts, chanting his name, as he arrived at the award ceremony in Oviedo, the capital of the Asturias region in northern Spain, amidst an atmosphere filled with bagpipe music and drums.

Messi received an official certificate from Princess Leonor, the heir to the Spanish throne, whose name the awards bear, who praised his “outstanding” career.

Leonor said: “He has turned the extraordinary into something ordinary by reading the game and making the most effective decisions in fractions of a second, prioritizing team spirit over ego.”

Messi is regarded as one of the greatest football players in history, having won eight Ballon d'Or awards, lifted the World Cup, and claimed numerous titles at the club level.