Lionel Messi has received one of Argentina’s highest institutional honours after being awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).
The university’s Superior Council unanimously approved the decision, granting Messi the title of Doctor Honoris Causa, its highest honorary distinction. The award was formally presented to the Argentina captain on Tuesday, October 6, ahead of his expected farewell appearance for the national team against Benin at the Monumental Stadium.
UBA honours Messi beyond football
The University of Buenos Aires said the recognition was not based solely on Messi’s extraordinary football achievements. Its resolution described his career as an example of excellence, perseverance, humility and ethical conduct, while also highlighting his commitment to representing Argentina.
UBA Rector Ricardo Gelpi said the university wanted to recognise Messi not only for his statistics and sporting achievements, but also for his influence as an ambassador of Argentine culture and national identity.
The university specifically pointed to Messi’s role in Argentina’s major international successes, including the 2021 Copa América, 2022 Finalissima, 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa América. It also recognised his involvement in Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final.
A special honour before Argentina farewell
The timing of the doctorate makes the recognition particularly significant.
Messi received the honour on the same day he was due to make what is expected to be his final appearance for Argentina, with the national team scheduled to face Benin at the Monumental.
The ceremony therefore adds another major moment to a farewell period that marks the end of more than two decades of Messi representing Argentina at senior level.
The 39-year-old has become Argentina’s most decorated footballer and played a central role in ending the country’s long wait for a major international trophy.
His achievements with the national team include the Copa América in 2021, the Finalissima in 2022, the World Cup in Qatar later that year and another Copa América title in 2024.
UBA says the honour goes beyond football
UBA Vice-Rector Emiliano Yacobitti said the doctorate was intended to recognise something broader than Messi’s career on the pitch.
According to the university, Messi’s relationship with the Argentina shirt and the values he represented were central to the decision.
The institution described the honour as a tribute to Messi’s influence and his contribution to Argentine society through sport.
The university also noted that honorary doctorates form part of an international tradition in which major academic institutions recognise people whose achievements and influence extend beyond their professional fields.
Another distinction in Messi's remarkable career
The honorary doctorate adds an unusual academic distinction to a career already filled with football's biggest individual and team honours.
Messi has won the FIFA World Cup, Copa América, Finalissima, multiple Ballon d'Or awards and numerous domestic and continental trophies during his career.
Now, following the UBA's decision, the Argentina icon can also officially be referred to as Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Buenos Aires.
The university's decision was approved unanimously, underlining the significance it attached to Messi's career and his representation of Argentina.
For Messi, the honour comes at an emotional point in his international career, just hours before he was scheduled to take the field at the Monumental for what is expected to be his final match for the Albiceleste.
