Lionel Messi: 1st Footballer to get US Presidential Medal of Freedom
Award and Honour
5 min read
Captain of Argentina men’s football team Lionel Messi was among the 19 people to be honored with the United States of America’s highest civilian award ‘The Presidential Medal of Freedom’ in a ceremony at the White House on 5 January 2025. However, he was not present during the ceremony due to a prior engagement.
Messi became the first men’s football player and the second from the sport after female football player Megan Rapinoe, who won it in 2022.
Presently Messi is playing for the Inter Miami football club in the Major League of the United States of America.
The award was conferred to the 19 distinguished persons by the American President Joe Biden whose term as the 46th President of the United States ends on 19 January 2024.
Donald Trump is expected to be sworn in as the 47th President of the country on 20 January 2025.
About the US Presidential Medal of Freedom
The US Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States of America. It is similar to the Bharat Ratna in India.
In 1945 the then United States President Harry Truman established the Medal of Freedom to honour civilians for their notable service during the Second World War.
In 1963, President John F Kennedy renamed the award as the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and expanded the scope of the prize.
The first US Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded during the Lyndon Johnson administration in 1963 after the assassination of President Kenedy.
The award is given to individuals -American citizens or foreigners -for their contribution to (1) the national interest or security of the United States, or (2) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors, or (3) world peace.
The medal is suspended on a blue ribbon, and it incorporates the colour scheme found on the American President's Seal. At its circle is a white star, upon which is a collection of 13 smaller gold stars arranged on a field of blue.
The recipient’s name is engraved on the reverse side of the medal.
Notable winners of the 2024 US Presidential Medal of Freedom
Amongst the 19 people who were honoured with the US Presidential Medal of Freedom
Were;
Hillary Clinton former Secretary of State(Foreign Minister);George Soros(Philanthropist ),
Denzel Washington (Actor), Micheal J Fox (actor), Magic Johnson (basketball player), and others.
About Lionel Messi
Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi is considered to be one of the greatest football players of all time.
He has won the Ballon d'Or awards for a record eight times. He was honoured with the FIFA Player Award in 2009.
He played a crucial role in Argentina’s third FIFA World Cup victory in Qatar 2022. He won the Golden Ball award in the 2022 edition, which is given to the competition's best player.
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