Time magazine voted Lionel Messi as the best athlete of the year

Argentine football star Lionel Messi has been named the 2023 World Athlete of the Year by US magazine Time, for the positive impact the 36-year-old has had since moving to Inter Miami FC and helping Major League Soccer (MLS) gain traction.

Messi became the first soccer player in history to be named Athlete of the Year by the American magazine Time. Photo: Time.

This milestone not only makes Messi the first soccer player in history to be honored by Time magazine, but also the first non-American athlete to be given such a great honor by the prestigious world- class newspaper. Time commented: "Lionel Messi has done what was previously thought impossible when he signed a contract with Inter Miami, which is to turn America into a soccer nation."

Messi made his Inter Miami FC debut in July after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. He marked his arrival with a free kick in the final minutes of the match to give his parent club a 2-1 victory. With the biggest signing in history and a world champion in hand, Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup - their first major trophy - by defeating Nashville in the final, with Messi scoring. The Argentine international finished the season with 11 goals in 14 games in all competitions. Not only did he have a groundbreaking impact on Inter Miami and MLS in general, Messi also helped change the public perception of soccer in the US, which was considered "inferior" to other sports such as basketball and football. In October, Messi won his eighth Ballon d'Or after leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Not only did he set a record for the number of times he won the award, he also became the first player in history to win the Ballon d'Or while playing outside of Europe, and helped MLS have its first representative win the Ballon d'Or./. Lionel Messi became the first non-US soccer player to be named athlete of the year by Time magazine.

The prestigious Time magazine is famous for its iconic Person of the Year award, which has been presented annually since 1927. In its nearly 100-year history, the award has gone to famous figures such as Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr. and Elon Musk...

However, the Athlete of the Year award was first presented in 2019. The Argentine star became the first non-US citizen to win the title. Previously, Time awarded the Athlete of the Year title to individuals and groups including the US women's soccer team (2019), LeBron James (2020), Simone Biles (2021), Aaron Judge (2022).

Currently, Messi is actively training to prepare for the 2024 season. The Argentine superstar aims to help his home club win more titles and enter the MLS play-off round./.

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