Lionel Messi has been named Time magazine's Athlete of the Year for 2023 after winning the Ballon d'Or for a record-breaking eighth time and raising the awareness of the sport in the U.S. with his move to Inter Miami.
Messi played a vital role in leading Argentina to their Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 title in which they beat defending champions France.
"The truth is that fortunately, I had several options on the table that were interesting, and I had to analyse them and think, even weigh them up with my family, before making the final decision to come to Miami," Messi told Time.
