Argentine footballer Lionel Messi was honored with Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on Friday, recognizing both his outstanding career achievements and his social contributions to improving access to health and education for disadvantaged children.

The ceremony took place in Oviedo, the capital of Spain’s Asturias region, where hundreds of fans clad in Argentina jerseys gathered to celebrate Messi’s accolade. The event featured traditional bagpipe and drum music as Messi received the formal award from Princess Leonor, the heir to the Spanish throne and the award’s namesake. The princess praised Messi for his “unique career” and highlighted his ability to combine individual brilliance with team-oriented play, noting his quick decision-making on the field.

At 39 years old, Messi is widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players. Over his two-decade professional career, he has won a record eight Ballon d’Or titles, a FIFA World Cup, and numerous club-level trophies. Messi spent 21 years at FC Barcelona, where he was integral to the team’s dominance in Spain and Europe under coaches Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique. After departing Barcelona in 2021, he played for Paris Saint-Germain for two seasons and currently competes with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. Messi also holds the records as Argentina’s all-time top scorer, assist provider, and most-capped player, having recently retired from international competition after Argentina’s loss to Spain in the World Cup final in New Jersey.

In a separate event on Thursday in Oviedo, Messi spoke to children about the importance of learning to both win and lose gracefully, emphasizing that such attitude is essential in football.

The Princess of Asturias Awards, established in 1981, are considered the most prestigious honors in the Spanish-speaking world, with a prize value of 50,000 euros (approximately $56,000). They recognize outstanding contributions across fields including the arts, sciences, and sports, as well as efforts to promote solidarity and cooperation worldwide. Other recipients honored at Friday’s ceremony included British author Julian Barnes, American astronaut Christina Koch, and musician Patti Smith.

Past recipients of the sports award include renowned athletes such as tennis champions Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn.