Lionel Messi is TIME magazine’s Athlete of the Year. And why not? The World Cup winner was the talk of the town as he won the FIFA World Cup in December 2022, only in July of 2023 to announce he was MLS bound to play for Inter Miami.
Upon his arrival in the United States, Messi revolutionized the sports world, signing one of the most lucrative contracts in the history of sport in the United States. On the field Messi scored 11 goals in 14 games and winning Inter Miami’s first title, the 2023 Leagues Cup.
Still, the only smudge on Messi’s impressive first six months in the United States was an injury that hampered his participation down the stretch of the MLS season resulting in a Inter Miami winless streak and ultimately missing out on the MLS postseason.
Messi’s message to Inter Miami supporters
2024 is an all or nothing season for Inter Miami, with the club positioning itself to win every title imaginable. Messi is expected to basically lead the league in almost every stat, while Inter Miami is set to build a better team around the Argentine.
Luis Suarez is slated to be the next major signing, and even coming in at a TAM value, meaning he will not count as one of the team’s (at the moment) three designated players.
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Lionel Messi named TIME Athlete of the year for 2023
When speaking to TIME magazine Messi made sure the fans of Inter Miami know, Inter Miami means business next season, “What I would tell you is simply the same thing I said when I arrived. We are going to have very good times. We are going to compete to continue lifting trophies and enjoy.”
Messi did make some remarks about MLS which have been misinterpreted by saying he knew he was playing in a “lesser league”. The statement was made in an interview for Latin America on Star+, but it was in the context that he was out of the European spotlight.
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Lionel Messi hits the gym with Antonela"s trainer Bret Contreras (aka "Glute Guy")
Nonetheless, Messi has praised the organization of MLS and where he plays for now. 2024 will not be a typical preseason as the MLS side is slated to play the national team of El Salvador, where the country will almost surely be at a standstill, then Inter Miami travel to Texas to play famed Argentine side River Plate.
