Messi Named Time's 'Athlete of The Year'

Argentina's forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's first goal - his 100th with the national team - during the friendly football match between Argentina and Curacao at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, in northern Argentina, on March 28, 2023. (AFP)
Argentina's forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's first goal - his 100th with the national team - during the friendly football match between Argentina and Curacao at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, in northern Argentina, on March 28, 2023. (AFP)
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Messi Named Time's 'Athlete of The Year'

Argentina's forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's first goal - his 100th with the national team - during the friendly football match between Argentina and Curacao at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, in northern Argentina, on March 28, 2023. (AFP)
Argentina's forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's first goal - his 100th with the national team - during the friendly football match between Argentina and Curacao at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, in northern Argentina, on March 28, 2023. (AFP)

Lionel Messi has been named Time magazine's "Athlete of the Year" for 2023 after a trailblazing season marked by an eighth Ballon d'Or award and his ground-breaking move to Major League Soccer's Inter Miami.

Time said the Argentine superstar had already had a transformative impact on the American sporting landscape, which has been historically slow to embrace football.

"Lionel Messi this year managed to do what once seemed impossible, when he signed with Inter Miami: turning the US into a soccer country," Time commented, AFP reported.

The 36-year-old Messi made his debut for Miami in July following an acrimonious departure from Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi was quoted by Time as saying that his first preference after PSG had been a fairytale return to Barcelona, but that move stalled over the club's finances.



Haaland Hurts Ankle in Man City's Win in FA Cup

30 March 2025, United Kingdom, Bournemouth: Manchester City's Erling Haaland (R) celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the English FA Cup quarter final soccer match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium. Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire/dpa
30 March 2025, United Kingdom, Bournemouth: Manchester City's Erling Haaland (R) celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the English FA Cup quarter final soccer match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium. Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire/dpa
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Haaland Hurts Ankle in Man City's Win in FA Cup

30 March 2025, United Kingdom, Bournemouth: Manchester City's Erling Haaland (R) celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the English FA Cup quarter final soccer match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium. Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire/dpa
30 March 2025, United Kingdom, Bournemouth: Manchester City's Erling Haaland (R) celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the English FA Cup quarter final soccer match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium. Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire/dpa

Erling Haaland was substituted with an ankle injury in the 60th minute of Manchester City's FA Cup quarterfinal match against Bournemouth on Sunday.
The Norway striker hurt his left ankle after Bournemouth right back Lewis Cook landed awkwardly on him in a 56th-minute tackle.
Haaland received treatment, came back on, but soon fell to the ground in pain and had to be substituted, The Associated Press reported.
Man City manager Pep Guardiola was unsure about the severity of Haaland's injury, saying: “I don’t know yet, we’ll have to see.”
The score was 1-1 when Haaland went off, having scored City's equalizer after having a penalty saved in the first half.
City went on to win 2-1 and advance to the semifinals for a seventh straight season.