End of GOAT debate: Messi wins prestigious award Ronaldo and other footballers have never won

Lionel Messi has been crowned TIME Magazine's Athlete of the Year for 2023 in recognition of his remarkable contributions to both Argentina and his club, Inter Miami.

 The former Barcelona star adds this prestigious accolade to his eighth Ballon d'Or, marking the culmination of an outstanding season.

Popular magazine TIME is well-known for the iconic Person of the Year award, which has been handed out every year since 1927 but the Athlete of the Year award is a more recent development which started in 2019.

Messi becomes the first footballer to ever win the prestigious award, ahead of long-time rival and competitor Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi joins basketball legend, LeBron James, gymnastics star Simon Biles, and baseball star Aaron Judge as the only athletes to have won the award. 

The 36-year-old Argentine playmaker also becomes the oldest athlete and the first non-American to be named the TIME Athlete of the Year.