Argentina captain Lionel Messi is set to add an extraordinary academic honour to his legendary football career after the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) approved an honorary doctorate in recognition of his achievements and contribution to Argentina.
The university’s Higher Council unanimously approved the conferment of the honorary degree, the institution’s highest honorary distinction.
Messi is expected to receive the award on Tuesday, October 6, shortly before Argentina’s farewell match against Benin at the Monumental Stadium.
UBA said the honour was not based solely on Messi’s remarkable football statistics but also on the values he has demonstrated throughout his career, including “excellence, perseverance, humility and ethical practice.”
The university particularly highlighted his commitment to representing Argentina and his role in the country’s major international successes.
These include Argentina’s 2021 Copa América triumph, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Copa América. The university also referenced Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final.
UBA Rector Ricardo Gelpi said the institution wanted the award to recognise Messi as more than a footballer.
“Beyond what all Argentinians know about Messi, regardless of the numbers and statistics that attest to his status as an athlete, we also want to recognise a humble, persevering person, an example and ambassador of our popular culture and national identity,” Gelpi said.
He said the doctorate also recognised Messi’s wider influence through sport and his role in representing Argentina on the global stage.
UBA Vice-Rector Emiliano Yacobitti similarly praised Messi for the values he displayed while wearing the national team jersey.
“Leo Messi knew how to convey the values of the Argentine jersey and represent it with courage and respect, and thus managed to take it to the highest level of world football,” Yacobitti said.
He added that the honorary doctorate was intended to transcend Messi’s football achievements.
“But this Honorary Doctorate is a recognition that transcends his football career. It is a tribute and a thank you that we offer him from the UBA, on behalf of all of Argentine society,” he said.
According to the university, honorary doctorates are part of a long-standing tradition through which leading academic institutions recognise individuals whose achievements and influence extend beyond their professional fields.
The honour comes at a significant moment in Messi’s international career as he prepares for Argentina’s farewell fixture against Benin on October 6 at the Monumental Stadium.
The match is expected to be Messi’s final appearance for the Argentine national team, adding further significance to a ceremony that will celebrate both his sporting achievements and his enduring place in Argentina’s national identity.
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