Messi receives the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in Oviedo and remembers his father

Oviedo, Spain — Argentine footballer Lionel Messi received the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on Friday at a ceremony at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, presented by Princess Leonor and attended by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. Hundreds of fans gathered outside the theatre to see the Argentina captain, who arrived accompanied by his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo.

Messi, 39 and an Inter Miami player, is the first footballer to receive the award individually in the sports category: it had previously gone to teams — Brazil in 2002 and Spain in 2010 — and jointly to Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernández in 2012. The jury highlighted not only his career — 10 league titles and four Champions League titles with Barcelona, plus the 2022 Qatar World Cup and two Copa América titles with Argentina — but also his overcoming of a childhood growth hormone deficiency and his sustained charity work for children's health and education.

“An honour to receive the Princess of Asturias of Sports Award,” Messi wrote on Instagram on Saturday, alongside photos from the ceremony. “Thank you to @fundacionprincesadeasturias for this recognition so special to me for all you represent. And very grateful to all the people for the love they made me feel.” Speaking to the EFE news agency during his visit, the forward recalled that his late father was “very excited” about this prize, and said he wants to be remembered as a sportsman who always fought for his goals and dreams.

After the ceremony, which included an audience with Princess Leonor and a gala dinner with the royal family, Messi flew back to the United States on a private plane to rejoin Inter Miami ahead of his upcoming commitments, including the Ballon d'Or presentation in London.

Photo: ANI

Source: Latestly (ANI)