By Joiner Martínez
Without a doubt, the phenomenon of Lionel Messi is increasingly powerful in the United States and this was confirmed by the company Sports Poll, specialized in sports surveys.
Sports Poll carried out a new analysis on each person’s favorite athletes in North America within a study with 30 years of longevity, since it has been carried out since 1994.
The question to the respondents is developed month by month for detailed monitoring and Lionel Messi became the first footballer since the existence of these records to take first place during a quarter (October to December 2023): “The combination of a World Cup victory and move to the United States helped take him to the top for the first time.”
NEW POLL REVEALS LIONEL MESSI MOST POPULAR ATHLETE IN UNITED STATES 🇺🇸@ssrs_research poll has tracked America’s favorite athlete, by quarter, for 30 years and Messi is the first footballer to claim the No. 1 spot, earning the honor for Q4 of 2023. 📈 (1/2) pic.twitter.com/8WFoAhG9aq
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) February 21, 2024
Last year, Jorge Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami, explained that Messi’s purchase was designed to help boost the profile of soccer in the United States: “We have achieved it. Expectations are something else, but we have achieved it. The fact that Lionel Messi is here, that Sergio Busquets is here, that others are going to come here, that we open new chapters for this sport in this country, we have achieved it.”
That lasting impact that Inter Miami hopes to achieve by bringing Lionel Messi to the league. MLS, Adidas and Apple participated in the agreement, which involved a huge financial outlay to tempt the world champion to come to the United States. They hope that Messi, like David Beckham, co-owner of Miami, will remain linked to the MLS beyond his retirement.
New record for Messi
In the 30 years of the survey, Messi is only the eighth athlete to top the list. Respondents are only asked to name their No. 1 athlete, meaning only the biggest names can make it to the top.
For the first decade, the award was dominated by Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls star won six NBA championships during his illustrious career and was, at one point, the favorite professional athlete of one in five American fans.
Its hegemony was broken in 2006, when Tiger Woods began to lead the rankings. Woods and Jordan are the only two athletes who have enjoyed an extended period as Americans’ favorite athletes.
Woods was replaced by Peyton Manning, who then passed the baton to Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Tom Brady. However, throughout that time, Michael Jordan has regularly held the No. 1 spot.
Jordan’s enduring cultural importance, through his Air Jordan line and documentaries like “The Last Dance,” has allowed him to remain one of America’s most popular athletes, two decades after his sporting retirement.
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