Lionel Messi, Iga Swiatek, Kylian Mbappe and Mikaela Shiffrin named in Time’s 100 most influential people for 2023

ByNigel Chiu

Updated 13/04/2023 at 17:07 GMT

Lionel Messi, Iga Swiatek, Kylian Mbappe, Mikaela Shiffrin, Brittney Griner and Patrick Mahomes have been confirmed in Time’s 100 most influential people for 2023. The list includes actors, politicians, singers – people from industries from around the world. Usually, few sports stars are among the 100 nominees, with the first list being published in 1999.

Lionel Messi, Iga Swiatek, Kylian Mbappe and Mikaela Shiffrin are among the six sportspeople who have been named on Time’s list of 100 most influential people for 2023.

NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes and WNBA star Brittney Griner are the other two athletes in the illustrious list.

Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory at the end of last year and is regarded as the greatest footballer of all time by many pundits.

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On Time’s list, a paragraph is written by another famous name or team-mate of those in the list, and for Messi, Roger Federer discussed the importance of the Argentine.

"My career has just come to an end,” wrote Federer. “I now realise how much weight we athletes carry. But in our daily lives, we don’t even realise it.

"For a football player like Messi, that weight likely feels more massive, as he represents both a world-renowned club and a very passionate country.

“Even those who don’t follow football must have realised the true impact of the world’s most popular game."

Messi Mbappe Ballon d'Or 2023 - FC Stream Team

Image credit: Getty Images

Messi’s Paris-Saint Germain team-mate Mbappe netted a hat-trick in the World Cup final but it wasn’t enough for France to defend their title.

Time correspondent Vivienne Walt wrote: “Despite his incredible celebrity, Mbappe has three home truths from his mom that keep him grounded: 'Respect, humility, lucidity.'"

Iga Swiatek recently went beyond the 12-month mark of being the world No. 1 on the WTA tour, having also won the French Open and US Open last year.

Swiatek is friends with alpine skier Shiffrin, with the pair exchanging numerous messages across social media, although they have never met in person.

Shiffrin said about the tennis player: "As an athlete, and more importantly as a human, she embodies the kind of confidence that everyone should emulate – the confidence of action over mere talk.”

As for Shiffrin, she became the most decorated alpine skier of all time when surpassing Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup wins in March.

Two months prior to that, the American broke Lindsey Vonn’s women’s record. Vonn says “the sky is the limit” for Shiffrin.”

“Most people thought that record would never be broken, and having a female athlete do it is a really big deal,” she explained. “With Serena Williams stepping away from tennis, there’s room for another big female global sports superstar, and Mikaela can fill that opportunity. She’s really stepped into the spotlight and done a great job moving the needle for our sport.

“She’s competing against herself at this point — she could reach 100 wins. It’s just a matter of how long Mikaela Shiffrin wants to keep at it.”

Brittney Griner

Image credit: Getty Images

Griner’s story away from the basketball court has raised awareness for Americans who have been wrongly detained across the world.

The eight-time WNBA All-Star spent nearly 10 months in a Russian penal colony and was released after a prisoner exchange in December 2022 for arms dealer Viktor Bout.

She has also been an advocate for transgender rights and the LGBTQ+ community.

"Brittney Griner’s story represents so much,” said WNBA legend Sue Bird. “First off, it's about resilience. But underneath this story of inner strength is so much more.

“It speaks to the power of the women who rallied around her – Black women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, our WNBA community – and who made certain her name was never forgotten, that she’d return home. These are the women who get s**t done."

Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl with the MVP award, which has made him the face of the NFL.

In 2019, he started his "15 and the Mahomies" foundation that has provided 136,000 meals and more than $2.5 million in charitable grants to 101 different organisations

NFL icon Peyton Manning wrote: "Patrick is setting new bars. All these young players around the country are trying to imitate his sidearm throws and incredible plays.

“But I hope they know he’s also an incredibly hard worker. He appreciates the cerebral part of the game. And he understands his platform, as the MVP quarterback of the Super Bowl–winning team.”

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