Biden awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Messi and Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson and Lionel Messi will be among 19 people to receive the “Presidential Medal of Freedom” from President Joe Biden during a ceremony at the White House. The “Presidential Medal of Freedom” is considered the highest civilian honor in the United States. It is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to US values: world peace or other significant initiatives on a social, public or private level. They will join the over 30 athletes awarded in the past, including Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Tiger Woods, Artur Ashe and Muhammad Ali. Messi is the first male footballer to receive the medal. Among the women, Megan Rapinoe had been honored in the past.

magic

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Johnson, a five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, has become a successful entrepreneur. It is part of the ownership groups of the Los Angeles Dodgers of the MLB, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, the Washington Commanders of the NFL, the Los Angeles FC in MLS and the Washington Spirit of the NWSL. His philanthropic work also supports disadvantaged communities through the “Magic Johnson Foundation”.

messi

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Messi is the most decorated player in the history of professional football and now wears the shirt of Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. He supports health and educational programs for children around the world through the Leo Messi Foundation and serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef.

the other winners

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Hillary Clinton, designer Ralph Lauren, U2 frontman Bono, actors Michael J. Fox and Denzel Washington will also receive the honor, along with environmentalist Jane Goodall, famous for her studies on chimpanzees, and philanthropist George Soros. “These nineteen Americans are great leaders, who have made America a better place – we read in a statement from the White House -. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.”