Messi awarded the Princess of Asturias Award for his work for disadvantaged children's access to health and education. Lionel Messi received Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, recognising his outstanding football career and efforts to improve disadvantaged children’s access to healthcare. The Argentine forward, 39, was named winner of the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in June, with the jury hailing "the most successful footballer of all time" and.