The Messi of maths: Argentinian Luis Caffarelli wins Abel prize

Caffarelli, 74, takes top trophy for work on partial differential equations, the first winner from South America

First football, and now maths. Three months after Lionel Messi triumphed at the World Cup, an Argentinian has won the top international trophy in mathematics.

Luis Caffarelli, 74, has received the Abel prize, an award presented by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, for his work on partial differential equations, which are a type of equation involving continuous change that are used by scientists to model the natural world.