How Messi's meeting with Princess Leonor unfolded in Oviedo
On Friday, Argentine footballer Leo Messi, awarded the 2026 Princess of Asturias Sports Prize, was received by Princess Leonor at the audience in the Covadonga Hall, where the heir delivered the badge that recognises him as the winner of the 46th edition.
Audience and Badge Presentation
The former FC Barcelona player attended together with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo the old chapel of the Hotel de la Reconquista in Oviedo, the setting of the audience before the official ceremony. There, Messi was among the first to meet the princess, who after a handshake handed him the badge that certifies him as the award winner. The ceremony took place in the Covadonga Hall, which hosted all the laureates of the 46th edition.
Arrival with Bagpipes and Autographs
Messi arrived in Oviedo on Thursday, October 22, accompanied by Antonella Roccuzzo, and spent the afternoon from 1:00 p.m. inside the Hotel de la Reconquista to the sound of the Corvera Bagpipe Band. The arrival was accompanied by bagpipes and autographs, breaking the usual protocol for signing Argentina and Barcelona shirts behind the fence. A boy named Manuel slipped past security to give the Argentine star a handwritten letter.
Gala and Significance of the Award
The gala was held at the Campoamor Theatre, began at 6:15 p.m. and was broadcast on La 1, marking the first time a footballer has won the prize solo. The jury valued Messi’s career and the work of the Leo Messi Foundation in child health and education. Previously, the award had been given to Brazil in 2002, to the Spanish national team in 2010 and to Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernández in 2012.
Messi receives the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports
In the following days, Messi unleashed madness in Asturias; a warm arrival on Thursday allowed him to celebrate his award with more than six thousand people, mostly children, in a meeting with the educational community. Real Oviedo legend Santi Cazorla joined the tribute, and the stands of the Palacio de los Deportes proved insufficient to accommodate the crowd.
The event concluded the “The Game of 10” initiative, promoted by the Princess of Asturias Foundation within the cultural programme “Take the Word”. Free tickets sold out in thirteen minutes, and thousands of schoolchildren presented a football rulebook inspired by Messi’s values, based on camaraderie and fair play.
Around 1 500 students from Asturian schools worked to create a new rulebook that promotes inclusion, respect and sportsmanship, using the life and ethics of the Argentine star as a reference.
Messi dedicated the award to his father Jorge, who passed away in August, and who urged him to travel to collect it in person for his human quality. After the gala, his stay will be brief; he will fly on a private plane to New York to rejoin Inter Miami.