Lionel Messi has been named Time magazine’s “Athlete of the Year” for 2023 following a record-breaking season that included an eighth Ballon d’Or trophy and a stunning transfer to Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.
According to Time, the Argentine superstar has already had a significant influence on the American sporting landscape, which has historically been slow to embrace football.
“Lionel Messi this year managed to do what once seemed impossible when he signed with Inter Miami: turning the US into a soccer country,” Time commented.
Messi, 36, made his Miami debut in July after an acrimonious exit from Paris Saint-Germain.
The World Cup winner also turned down a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia in favour of a new chapter in Major League Soccer.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had an immediate influence on Miami’s fortunes, helping the team win the expanded Leagues Cup, a cross-border competition between MLS and Mexico’s top flight.
Messi scored 11 goals in 14 games in all competitions before the end of the season, although he was unable to help Miami advance to the playoffs due to an injury toward the end of the campaign.
As per Time, Messi’s arrival raised attendance, ticket prices, merchandise sales and viewership, with Apple TV subscriptions — which holds exclusive rights to MLS — increasing by 110,000 on the day of his debut, a 1,700% rise over the previous day.