FC Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has broken yet another world record, having received the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in the Teatro Campoamor of Oviedo, Spain. Presented by Princess Leonor, the award was given to Messi for his sporting excellence and humanitarian work through his foundation.
The Spanish royal foundation has awarded the trophy to the the Spanish national team in 2010 and Xavi Hernandez and Iker Casillas in 2012. However, 39-year-old Messi takes the crown as the first sole individual player to receive the honor.
Messi reaches 1,000 individual awards in his career
A player reaching 1,000 individual awards in his career is not easy. It requires a prolific playing career, with a week of extraordinary performances not being enough to secure a place on the list of the most decorated sportspeople in the world. Considering Messi’s haul, which includes honors, awards, titles, medals, and plaudits, none of his contemporaries even come close to reaching 1,000.
In fact, almost all of Messi’s 1,000 individual and official Man of the Match awards, titles, and honors stem from his 17-year-long stint in the Blaugrana. At the top of his domestic and international honors list are eight Ballon D’or trophies, six European Golden Boot awards, and two FIFA World Cup Golden Ball awards.
On top of official competition, Messi has also amassed eight La Liga Pichichi titles and four FIFA Best/World Player of the Year awards.
Man of the Match honors
His consistency sees him winning hundreds of Man of the Match awards in official La Liga, Champions League, Copa America, World Cup, and MLS matches. In fact, in almost half of the games he has played for FC Barcelona since joining the club at the age of 13, Messi has been named the man of the match.
The fact that Messi has recorded his 1,000th individual award in Spain is particularly befitting given his status in the country. After moving to Spain from his native Rosario at the age of 13 to join the FC Barcelona's youth academy, Messi went on to rewrite the record books in Catalonia. Not only did he help FC Barcelona claim a world-record 47 major honors, but he also helped the Spanish league enjoy its most successful era in the history of the men’s game.
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