Lionel Messi has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), adding another major distinction to his remarkable career just hours before his final appearance for the Argentina national team.
The Argentine football captain was conferred with the university’s highest honorary distinction, Doctor Honoris Causa, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, during a ceremony at the Argentine Football Association’s training complex in Ezeiza.
The award was approved unanimously by UBA’s Superior Council in recognition of Messi’s outstanding sporting career, his perseverance and his contribution to Argentina’s national identity and culture.
UBA said the distinction recognised more than Messi’s achievements on the football pitch, highlighting qualities including excellence, humility, perseverance and his commitment to representing Argentina.
University Rector Ricardo Gelpi and Vice Rector Emiliano Yacobitti presented Messi with the medal and diploma during the ceremony, which took place only a few hours before Argentina’s farewell match against Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
Messi described the honour as a source of pride and said receiving the recognition made an already emotional day even more special.
The university also highlighted Messi’s role in some of Argentina’s most significant football successes, including the 2021 Copa América, 2022 Finalissima, 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa América triumphs.
The doctorate comes as Messi closes a 21-year chapter with the Argentina national team. His farewell match against Benin marked his final international appearance, bringing an emotional end to one of the most celebrated careers in Argentine football.
The timing of the honour added another symbolic moment to Messi’s farewell. Before taking the field at the Monumental, the 39-year-old had already been recognised by one of Argentina’s leading academic institutions for his impact both as an athlete and as a national figure.
Messi has now added an academic honour to a collection of sporting achievements that includes the World Cup, Copa América titles and numerous individual awards.
While the honorary doctorate does not represent an academic degree earned through traditional university study, Doctor Honoris Causa is a formal honorary distinction awarded by universities to recognise exceptional achievement or contribution.
For Messi, the honour provided a fitting beginning to an emotional final day in Argentina’s colours — one that combined recognition from the country’s academic community with a farewell from the football supporters who watched his extraordinary international journey unfold.
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