2023-12-05 20:59:50
Argentine Lionel Messi was named sportsman of the year by Time magazine on Tuesday, December 5, for his impact on American football since joining Inter Miami this summer. “He achieved what seemed impossible, making the United States a football country”writes the magazine.
Awarded an eighth Ballon d’Or at the end of October, Lionel Messi (36) left PSG in July to join Inter Miami, a club co-managed by David Beckham, seven months following his world champion title won at the end of 2022 with Argentina.
Messi expected at the Copa America
“My first option was to return to Barcelona, but that was not possible. It is also true that I then considered the Saudi championship, a powerful competition which might become important in the future in a country that I know”explains Lionel Messi to Time.
“It was ultimately Saudi Arabia or MLS, and both options interested me”, continues La Pulga. Winner of the Leagues Cup in August following his arrival, the club’s first trophy, Lionel Messi then had a series of absences while Inter Miami failed to qualify for the championship play-offs.
READ ALSO. The arrival of Lionel Messi was “a gift to America and MLS” according to David Beckham
In 2024, in addition to the MLS, the Argentinian will be expected at the Copa America in June and July in the United States. The draw is scheduled for Thursday, December 7. Lionel Messi has not closed the door to a possible participation in a tenth World Cup in 2026contested in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
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