“God of Football” – Lionel Messi named TIME’s 2023 Athlete of the Year
Lionel Messi is unstoppable.
Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, has established himself as the best by winning every major prize by 2022. Messi is officially TIME’s 2023 Athlete of the Year, following his seventh Ballon d’Or.
Messi had a fantastic 2022 and 23 seasons, winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina and the Ligue 1 with his club, Paris Saint-Germain. The forwards then moved to the United States to play for Inter Miami. His transfer to the Miami team resulted in a significant shift in the country’s football culture, with even supporters who had never been interested in the sport attending games.
Fat Joe, a rapper interviewed by TIME, said that he was never a huge football/’soccer’ lover. Despite not being a fan, he made the trip to see Inter Miami play Red Bull New York, where the Argentine scored. He referred to Messi as a “culture shifter.”
Perhaps it is for this reason that Messi has been named TIME’s 2023 Athlete of the Year. His decision to play in the United States has resulted in a significant increase in football fans. Furthermore, the Chicago Fire attracted around 15,000 supporters every match at Soldier Field. When the Argentine player arrived, the audience skyrocketed to almost 60,000. On his debut, 110,000 fans purchased MLS season passes to witness the competition.
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Fans respond to this award as it confirms Lionel Messi’s spot as the GOAT
Lionel Messi received the coveted prize, and fans of the X were overjoyed. Furthermore, they think that Messi is now the all-time best player. Others were dissatisfied, believing that tennis players such as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcazraz deserved the trophy instead.
Messi, on the other hand, will now play for Inter Miami next season. Despite failing to make the MLS Playoffs, the club will now have a lot to play for in the future, according to his teammate Benjamin Cremaschi, who claims the club will now be more difficult to beat.
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