Oviedo received Lionel Messi in formal black and amid a rush of supporters, as the Argentine arrived in Asturias to collect the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award. The 39-year-old came with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, for an honour recognising work beyond football, particularly his role as a UNICEF ambassador and the Leo Messi Foundation’s support for education and healthcare for vulnerable children.
The news from the club
Messi travelled to northern Spain on a private flight and checked in at the Hotel de La Reconquista, one of the city’s traditional addresses for the awards week. He later stepped outside to meet the crowd gathered nearby, signing a large number of shirts and accepting gifts that included alfajores and other sweets.
Alongside Roccuzzo, Messi stopped for photographs with fans, bringing a distinctly footballing presence to an occasion usually centred on cultural, scientific and humanitarian achievement.
The award programme continues on Thursday with a talk by Messi for children and teenagers from the local student community at the Palacio de los Deportes. In the evening, he will attend a dinner with Spain’s King and Queen and the other recipients.
A Friday ceremony in Asturias
On Friday, Princess Leonor of Asturias will present Messi with the prize. The distinction includes a trophy bearing the image of surrealist artist Joan Miró, a commemorative brooch, the Asturias Medals and a €50,000 award, valued at R$282,300.
Messi will also join the other laureates for the official photograph, closing a visit that has turned central Oviedo into a meeting point between one of football’s most recognisable figures and the social causes attached to his foundation’s work.
