Lionel Messi has had a spectacular impact in the United States since his arrival during the summer of 2023 at Inter Miami. From that moment on, tournaments such as the MLS and the Leagues Cup began to dominate the headlines.
Now, less than a year since joining the MLS, Messi is currently the most popular athlete in the US, according to a recent survey conducted by the Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS) group.
It’s an amazing achievement considering he is above stars like Michael Jordan, LeBron James or Tom Brady. By the way, the legend from Argentina just became the first footballer to top the list in three decades of this study.
Tom Brady led the survey in recent years as favorite athlete in the US (Getty Images)
Lionel Messi is the most popular athlete in the United States
Lionel Messi became the favorite athlete in the United States during the last quarter of 2023. Since the study started in 1995, the list has been led by a very exclusive group of athletes.
Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Tom Brady. Most of those names are and were legendary in the NFL and the NBA, while Tiger took the world by storm taking golf to another level.
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Now, Messi has put soccer in the map and the interesting thing to see is if the trend will continue. It’s important to remember that the 2024 Copa America and the 2026 World Cup will be played in the US. Messimania might be just starting.
