Lionel Messi, who left PSG in the summer and transferred to MLS team Inter Miami, was named the best athlete of 2023 by TIME magazine.
Making a statement to the magazine, Messi said:
My first choice was to return to Barcelona, but that was not possible. There were many options on the table. I also thought a lot about going to Saudi Arabia. After talking with my family, I chose to come to Miami. I wanted to experience football in a different way. I won’t go back to Barcelona.