Lionel Messi Named Athlete of the Year 2023: Secures Prestigious Ballon d’Or for Outstanding Football Achievement

Lionel Messi has been chosen as the Time Athlete of the Year for the year 2023. He is the first footballer to receive this honor. Messi, who plays for PSG, beat out competition from Kylian Mbappe of PSG, Erling Haaland of Manchester City, Novak Djokovic of tennis, and baseball star Aaron Judge to achieve this accolade. The decision was also informed by his outstanding performance in the FIFA World Cup.

Wins Eighth Ballon d’Or Award in December

In the past month, Lionel Messi secured his eighth Ballon d’Or award for his outstanding performance in the FIFA World Cup as part of the Argentine team. He is the only player to have won the Ballon d’Or eight times, having previously won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2021.

Secures Second Golden Boot Award in FIFA World Cup

In the FIFA World Cup held in Qatar this year, Lionel Messi won the Golden Boot award for the second time. This time, he shared the Golden Boot with France’s Kylian Mbappe, who also scored 8 goals in the tournament. Messi, having scored 7 goals in the World Cup, managed to score 2 goals in the final. Throughout the World Cup, he played in 26 matches, scoring a total of 16 goals, with 12 from field goals and 4 from penalties.

Argentina Wins the World Cup in Messi’s Farewell

In a thrilling final held in Qatar on December 18th, Lionel Messi led Argentina to victory in the Football World Cup. Argentina defeated France 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the match ended 2-2 in regular time and even at 1-1 in the first half of extra time. The match remained tied at 3-3, leading to the decisive penalty shootout.

TIME Athlete of the Year Award Since 2019

Since 2019, Lionel Messi has been awarded the TIME Athlete of the Year. This award is given to the athlete who has shown outstanding performance throughout the year in sports and athletics.