Lionel Messi Named 2023 Athlete Of The Year: List Of TIME Magazine's Past Winners
Messi has been a stalwart in the game as he has won a number of awards including the Ballon d’Or title and now after beating the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, he received the TIME award.
Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen and he proved his worth again by clinching another title to his name. Messi who plays for Inter Miami star has been given TIME’s Athlete of the Year 2023 for his brilliant run ever since he started playing in MLS. On the back of this award, he also joined the high-profile list of athletes including LeBron James, and Aaron Judge after winning the title.
Talking about the award, TIME is renowned for its famous Person of the Year award, which has been given every year since 1927. The award has a rich history of 100 years and so far it has been given to the likes of Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr., and Elon Musk.
On the other hand, the Athlete of the Year award is new with the first honour given out in 2019. Messi is the first non-American player to win the award.
Messi has been a stalwart in the game as he has won a number of awards including the Ballon d’Or title and now after beating the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, he received the TIME award. Tennis legend Novak Djokovic was also in the race after winning the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open in 2023.
“The truth is that fortunately, I had several options on the table that were interesting, and I had to analyze them and think, even weigh them up with my family, before making the final decision to come to Miami,” Messi said after receiving the award.
TIME’s Athlete of the Year Winners Full List:
- 2019 – United States Women’s National Team (soccer)
- 2020 – LeBron James
- 2021 – Simone Biles
- 2022 – Aaron Judge
- 2023 – Lionel Messi
The 36-year-old veteran footballer shifted his base to Inter Miami in July and made a terrific impact on the team. Under Messi’s leadership, Inter Miami clinched the Leagues Cup, securing the franchise’s first-ever silverware.
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