Princess of Asturias Award Winner Messi: "I Want to Be Remembered as a Great Sportsman"

Argentine football legend Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), who has become the first football player to win the sports category of Spain's Princess of Asturias Award as a sole recipient, shared his thoughts, saying, "I want to be remembered as a great sportsman."

In an interview with Spain's EFE news agency on the 23rd (Korean time), when asked how he wants to be remembered as a player, Messi stated, "I want to be remembered as a great sportsman who always fought for his goals and dreams."

This interview was conducted a day ahead of the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award ceremony scheduled to take place in the early hours of the 24th (Korean time) at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, Spain.

Often referred to as the "Spanish Nobel Prize," the Princess of Asturias Award is one of the most prestigious honors in Europe, annually selecting individuals and organizations that have made outstanding achievements and left significant marks in eight fields, including arts, literature, science, and sports.

Previously in the sports category for football, the Brazilian national team (in 2002) and the Spanish national team (in 2010) received the award as groups, while players Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernandez (both from Spain) shared the honor in 2012.

Messi is the first individual football player to ever win the sports category of the Princess of Asturias Award on his own.

The jury cited not only Messi's talent in June, but also his peerless sports career and his exceptional, continuous philanthropic efforts to improve education and health access for underprivileged children as the reasons for his selection.

Arriving in Oviedo, in the Spanish region of Asturias, aboard a private jet to attend the ceremony, Messi met with about 5,000 local children at a special event held prior to the award ceremony.

At the event, Messi advised, "The most important thing is knowing how to lose," adding, "You might achieve your goals or you might not, but you must be able to feel satisfied knowing that you poured everything into it."

In his interview with EFE, he said, "There are many people who fall behind along the way despite having exceptional talent due to a lack of opportunities," and added, "It is an honor to have my name added to the list of Princess of Asturias Award sports category laureates alongside legendary figures such as Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal (both tennis), Carolina Marín (badminton), Eliud Kipchoge (marathon), Lindsey Vonn (skiing), the Gasol brothers (basketball), and Michael Schumacher (motorsports)."
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.