Lionel Messi has replaced Michael Jordan as the most popular athlete in the US

Lionel Messi has replaced Michael Jordan as the most popular athlete in the US. The research company has polled American sports fans aged 12 and older every quarter since 1995, and this is the first time that a football player has received the most votes. Messi received just under 5% of all votes in the last poll, but that was still more than any other person. Retired NBA star Michael Jordan was America's favorite athlete for the previous two quarters, also receiving just under 5% of the vote each.
Jordan was previously No. 1 for over a decade, from 1995 to 2006, peaking at almost 20% in 1998. Messi's popularity in the US has skyrocketed since his move from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami in June 2023 However, even before arriving in Miami, he was already America's favorite professional soccer player. Months after Messi led Argentina to victory at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in December 2022, Messi was three times more popular among Americans than his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo. He is now more than four times more popular than Ronaldo in the US. famous millionaires, Football clubs have a rich and diverse history dating back to the mid-19th century. Originating in England, football clubs emerged as local recreational teams, often representing specific communities or workplaces. The establishment of formal rules and the codification of the game in the 1860s laid the foundation for the development of organized club football.