Lionel Messi is again all over the world when he was declared as the best athlete of the 21 st century in a Canadian magazine Le Journal de Quebec. This award is a historic event in the history of sport and the Argentine footballer is at the top of the current sporting excellence.
Its ranking assessed the 25 most influential athletes in the world in various sporting activities based on impact, performance and legacy. Messi has become the obvious leader who overtakes not only football stars but also such American football, swimming, basketball, tennis, and athletics stars as professionals.
The success of Messi puts him on top of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is his long time competitor and one of the most prolific goal scorers in football. Although the competition has been controversial over the nearly twenty years, the magazine emphasized Messi as the best player in the mix of competence, ability, and impact on the team as the key element in bringing him the number one position.
Second in the list is NFL star Tom Brady, whose seven Super Bowl wins and a long historic career legacy made a mark defining an age of American football. Michael Phelps is ranked the third most successful Olympian of all times with 28 Olympic medals that are still uncontested and are an icon of success in the most significant sport event in the world.
They include other athletes like Serena Williams, who is considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of tennis, Usain Bolt, whose achievements in the field of sprinting have completely changed the world of athletics and LeBron James, the NBA superstar, who consistently remains excellent and a leader both on and off the field.
The choice of Messi is more than the numbers and awards. Since he won several Ballon d’Ors to his much-deserved FIFA world cup victory with Argentina, his career was the symbol of consistency at its best. His recent winning streak with Inter Miami has also added to his power as the sport, Major League Soccer, had never received such global attention.
This appreciation supports the legacy of Messi as a generational star whose influence will keep on influencing the sporting scene long after the 21st century.
