Recently, Time magazine – the leading magazine in the US and the most prestigious in the world – put Messi on the cover; voted him the Best Athlete of 2023.
In Time’s article, besides the appearance on the cover and the title of athlete of the year 2023, the hidden corners that have never appeared from those close to Messi at Inter Miami were also revealed.
Speaking of Messi’s debut in American football, Inter Miami won against Cruz Azul in the J Leagues Cup with a stunning 2-1 goal from the Argentine superstar from a free kick in stoppage time.
The goal sent more than 20,000 fans at the DRV PNK stadium and millions of viewers around the world into a frenzy.
Speaking about that moment, Beckham was emotional and told Time: “I remember getting in the car to go home and saying to Victoria, ‘I’m not even sure I can drive home.’ You can’t describe it any better. That moment was for MLS and for American soccer. It was for the future of soccer.”
Messi on the cover of Time magazine
Inter Miami co-owner also expressed surprise when expressing Messi’s attitude from the first day he joined. “From the first day, Leo (Messi) came earlier and left later than any other player. He is the most professional player in our team” – Beckham expressed.
Messi’s teammate, defender DeAndre Yedlin, also told another story: “You don’t know what he’s going to be like. He could come here and change the club’s colors if he wanted to.
Inter Miami still wore pink, though. The pink jersey has become the most sought-after sports item in the world. He just wanted to be part of the team. He even joined the team chat and offered to secure extra tickets for the players’ friends and families.
This choice of Time magazine is not too difficult to explain when the top football title in 2023 belongs to Messi (Photo: Reuters)
In addition, Time also gave evidence for their choice. Since Messi joined Inter Miami, a wave has been created, American audiences do not care about Messi scoring goals. They just want to see him live.
This helped Inter Miami’s home attendance increase by 40%, the biggest spike in the league.
Time reports on the Miami Herald’s analysis, which shows that Inter Miami has become the first MLS team to average more than 30,000 fans in attendance.
In October, Messi drew 62,124 fans to Soldier Field, a record for a Chicago Fire game. The team’s average attendance is 15,422. But Messi sat out the game with an injury, but fans showed up in pink.
Time also commented: “Inter Miami failed to make the MLS playoffs this season. The team was already deep in the dumps before Messi arrived. But with preparation and a full season next year, the team will have a better record in the rankings.”
