Barcelona: Lionel Messi was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi in Barcelona on Thursday, one of the highest honours possible in Catalonia.
The annual award is one of the highest distinctions given by the regional government of Catalonia.
Messi joined Barcelona at the age of 13 and has never played professional football for any other club.
The Barcelona captain has won a club record 34 trophies with the team, and is their all time top scorer with 598 goals.
The Argentinean started playing for the Catalan club at the age of 13.