The Argentine sensation, Messi, won the 2022 World Cup and was named the best player of all time by Time magazine in a story celebrating his accomplishments.

Messi made 14 appearances, scored 11 goals, and nearly helped Miami secure MLS playoff tickets following his rookie campaign in the United States.

Additionally, he made a significant contribution to Miami’s journey to the US Open Cup final and the League Cup championship, the first in the club’s history.

Messi, 36, has breathed fresh air into the realm of chess, the king sport. Attendance at the stadium, ticket costs, sales, and internet viewing all experienced a sharp increase.

Rapper Fat Joe, who is well-known in America, thinks Messi has altered American society. Messi, who came from a nation where football was not particularly popular, helped rekindle that passion and was well received.

In the upcoming three years, the United States is expected to play host to three big international tournaments: the World Cup 2026, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, and the Copa America 2024. These significant occasions will undoubtedly draw more attendees. once more.

Messi acknowledged in an interview with Time magazine that his initial preference was to go back to Barcelona, but it was not feasible. It’s true that I gave attending the Saudi Arabia National Championship a lot of thought. They have produced an extremely competitive event that has the potential to become a significant event in the future. Before deciding on a course of action, I gave it a lot of thought, analysis, and family consideration. lastly, to Miami.

Apple saw 110,000 more people sign up to watch the American Professional League (MLS) on the day that Messi made his Inter Miami debut. This is a 1,700% gain over the day before. Even though the season had not yet begun, Inter Miami’s season tickets for the following year sold out in a matter of minutes.

Prior to Messi, a number of well-known players, including David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, and Gareth Bale, arrived in Major League Soccer. But none has had as much of an influence as the superstar from Argentina.

Time magazine started presenting the Outstanding Athlete of the Year award in 2019. The first athlete to win this title who is not a citizen of the United States is Messi.

The US women’s soccer team was previously given this honor by Time magazine (2019). LeBron James, Simone Biles, and Aaron Judge followed in that order.