Lionel Messi added another impressive feather to his already legendary career on December 5, 2023, when TIME named him Athlete of the Year.

The honour came in a year that seemed almost impossible to follow. Messi started 2023 with Paris Saint-Germain before his sensational move to Inter Miami. His arrival immediately changed the air around Major League Soccer.

And I remember the buzz that began so quickly when Messi began delivering for Miami. He scored 10 goals in seven games in the Leagues Cup and helped bring the club its first major trophy.

And the schedule behind the year adds to the extraordinary. Messi had played a full season in France before crossing the Atlantic.

At 36 years old, he was still demonstrating his best days were not behind him. Recognition by Time seemed little more than another fitting chapter in a great football career.