TIME has announced Lionel Messi as their Athlete of the Year for 2023, with the soccer icon adding this honor to his monumental collection of achievements.
Lionel Messi is TIME's 2023 Athlete of the Year https://t.co/qPR75Hgt6f pic.twitter.com/EXqxl08lZN
— TIME (@TIME) December 5, 2023
Messi, who is an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and the champion of the 2022 World Cup, was honored for his remarkable contributions to soccer, paving the way for an exciting new era for the sport in the United States.
Messi, originally hailing from Argentina, rocked the global soccer community this summer when he made the transition from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami.
TIME’s Sports Editor Sean Gregory notes that Messi’s influence has been a catalyst for soccer in the US. With the nation gearing to host 3 Major international tournaments in the upcoming years such as Copa America in 2024, FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, and the coveted World Cup in 2026, Messi’s presence is expected to magnetize a large presence of fans.
With still two more years to display his craft in Miami, Messi secured the highest point of his game by again bagging the highly prestigious Ballon d’Or, his eighth win, earlier last October.
His continuing aces have confidently crowned the US as a bona fide soccer or, as he coined it, ‘fútbol’ nation.
Messi revealed during his intimate interview with TIME that after parting ways from PSG, he was courted with a multitude of options.
“My first option was to return to Barcelona, but it was not possible. I tried to return, and it did not happen. It is also true that later I was thinking a lot about going to the Saudi league … It was Saudi Arabia or MLS, and both options seemed very interesting to me.”
His ultimate decision is set to leave a permanent mark on the global soccer landscape.
Messi’s finances have taken a significant leap, as his new contract promises an impressive annual payout of over $20 million from Inter Miami. But the deal doesn’t end there.
Aside from his staggering annual revenue alone, Messi’s new chapter with Inter Miami contracts an ownership stake in the team after his retirement.
A robust investment plan providing Messi a bright scope for amassing fortune and influence long after his on-field days are over.
All considered, 2023 has been a landmark year in the illustrious career of Lionel Messi. His deliberate moves on and off the field have inserted a new chapter in the grand narrative of global soccer.
