Barcelona Icon Lionel Messi Wins Prestigious ‘King Of Football’ Award

BusinessSportsMoneyBarcelona Icon Lionel Messi Wins Prestigious ‘King Of Football’ AwardByTom Sanderson,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Tom Sanderson has been primarily based in Barcelona since 2019.Follow AuthorJun 03, 2026, 07:05am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Lionel Messi had been dubbed the 'King of Football' and the best player in history after clinching the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.AFP via Getty ImagesFC Barcelona icon Lionel Messi has been dubbed the “King of Football” and the “best footballer of all time” after receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.Catalan newspaper SPORT lavished those titles on the Argentine and ran off his trophy haul, which currently stands at 47.Thirty five came with the club of his life Barca, while he collected five for his country, three with Paris Saint-Germain and four at his current employers Inter Miami.Individually, Messi has eight Ballon d’Or awards for being the world’s best player. Six Golden Boots are there too, as Europe’s top scorer over a storied era at the Spotify Camp Nou which ran from 2004 to his free transfer departure in 2021.This month, Messi will help Argentina defend the World Cup crown that finished off his collection in Qatar four years ago, in what could be his international football swansong.Despite turning 39 on June 24, Messi is tipped to continue playing considering he signed a conract extension through 2028 with Inter Miami in October 2025.Lionel Messi is just the third football player to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for SportsHis fellow La Masia graduate and former teammate Xavi Hernandez did so in 2012, when it was given jointly to Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas as well.MORE FOR YOUThat came as a reaction to them clinching the Euros together during the national team’s golden era.While sealing the Euros in 20...