Lionel Messi was presented with the 2019 Balon Educativo de Scholas award on Monday by the world director of the Pope Francis’ Scholas Occurrentes foundation, Jose Maria del Corral.
The Barcelona star received the most votes from thousands of children from the Scholas network, which includes more than 500,000 institutions from 190 countries.
The youngsters voted for Messi ahead of every other participant in this summer’s Copa America in Brazil, with the Argentine receiving 34.38 percent of the vote.
Messi was joined at the ceremony by Barcelona vice-president Jordi Cardoner. The Barca Foundation does work in Catalan schools alongside Scholas.
The trophy was made by boys from the community of Chicomo in Mozambique and was blessed by Pope Francis in the Vatican City.