Messi Crowned Greatest Athlete of Century

Lionel Messi has a new historic achievment to his remarkable career after he was declared as the best athlete of the 21 st century by one of the most reputable Canadian magazines. The acknowledgment also solidifies Messi as a not only a football icon, but also a sporting icon of the whole world whose impact extends beyond his game.

As Le Journal de Quebec reports, the World Cup winning, Inter Miami star and Argentina World Cup winner was voted at the first place in a highly prestigious rating of the 25 most influential athletes in the contemporary world. The list includes a wide range of sports, and it includes people whose accomplishments and longevity, as well as cultural contributions, influenced the world of sport in the last twenty years.

Messi ranks top on this list and the top position puts Messi above his long-term football rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, a distinction that has marked a new era of football in the modern age. Although both players have set records afresh, the magazine highlighted the consistency, creativity, and capacity of Messi to affect the games at the very top, both at the club and international football.

The American football star, Tom Brady, took the second place in the list. Being the seven time NFL Super Bowl champion, the veteran has been considered the best quarter back of all time, which is known by his leadership, longevity, and unmatched success in the championship. Michael Phelps, an Olympic swimming legend, took the third place; he is the first person to win an unprecedented total of 28 Olympic medals, having become the most decorated Olympian in history of the organization.

The list also includes other sport icons of the world like tennis super star Serena Williams whose sportswomen dominance and advocacy has transformed the sport, sprinting legend Usain Bolt, the fastest man ever in history and NBA star LeBaron James whose on field prowess, and off field influence.

The recognition of Messi comes at a time when his influence now extends in the parts of the world outside of Europe as his transfer to Major League Soccer attracted much attention to football in North America. The honor is more than just the trophies and records, but it is also his enduring legacy to the way the game is played and viewed all over the world.