Lionel Messi (36-Argentina), the “God of Soccer” who moved to the United States this summer to play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS), has been named “Athlete of the Year” by Time magazine.Time announced on Friday (local time) that Messi will be its 2023 Athlete of the Year.Previous Time Athletes of the Year include Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge last year, USA Gymnastics living legend Simone Biles in 2021, and National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar LeBron James in 2020.Messi is the first individual soccer player to be honored other than the 2019 World Cup-winning U.S. Women’s National Team. After leading Argentina to victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi reaffirmed his status as the world’s greatest soccer player at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in October, extending his all-time tally to eight awards.

In July of this year, Messi shocked the world of soccer by signing for Inter Miami after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ended.After playing exclusively for FC Barcelona (Spain) since 2004, Messi spent two seasons with PSG, starting in the 2021-2022 season, before leaving Europe for a fresh start in the United States.Messi was initially rumored to be headed to Saudi Arabia, where he was offered a big-money move, but he opted for the United States after his most desired return to Barcelona fell through due to financial difficulties.Messi burst onto the scene in Miami, scoring the game-winning goal in his debut, and within a month of joining the club, he helped them win the League Cup, which features club teams from the United States, Canada, and Mexico.Time wrote, “In signing with Inter Miami, Messi 카지노사이트킹 accomplished what once seemed impossible. Making America a soccer nation.”