Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has returned to Spain to collect The 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.
The GOAT has been in Oviedo where he spoke about life at Barca and admitted it’s difficult for him to find the words to describe his time at Camp Nou.
“It was a privilege to share a dressing room with Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol and so many others. We were fortunate enough to win everything, and to do it the way we did: how much we enjoyed playing, winning and achieving great things. But above all,
we enjoyed our day-to-day life, the training sessions; we had a wonderful time,” he told EFE.
“It is difficult to sum up in a few words. I experienced so many incredible moments and obviously hold a very, very special affection for both the city and the club.”
Messi was announced as the winner of the award earlier this year and has become the first individual footballer to be given the honor by the committee.
“In addition to his dazzling talent, his exceptional sporting career and his remarkable and sustained charitable work to promote access to education and healthcare for the most disadvantaged children,” a statement read.
“Leo Messi, the player who has won the most titles in the history of football, has also earned the respect and admiration of everyone for his exemplary behaviour on the field and for his consistency, humility and commitment to the team game.”
The award notable achievements in various fields, including Sports, Arts, Literature, Science etc, and is voted on by a jury of several members.
