Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi has been proclaimed TIME Magazine’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ for 2023.
Messi, 36 years this year, just in October, won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award for a record eighth time this year, beating Manchester City treble winner Erling Haaland and World Cup finalist Kylian Mbappe of France to the iconic win.
Messi was critical to Argentina’s first World Cup victory since Maradona lifted the trophy for his country in 1986, when they beat defending champions France in the final in December last year.
Lionel Messi now plays for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami after turning down more lucrative offers to join the Saudi football club Al-Hilal when he left Paris St Germain earlier this year.
Already he is making a sensation in Florida with 11 goals and five assists in just his first 14 games so far. Inter Miami is coached by English former star, David Beckham.
This Messi’s TIME Magazine award is the first ever it is going to an individual football star in Time Magazine’s history.
Previously, the US Women’s National Team – the first ever football side to get the award – won it in 2019.
In other individual categories, LA Lakers basketball star LeBron James, gymnastics superstar Simone Biles and baseball legend Aaron Judge have all at various times won the Time Athletes of the Year.
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