LIONEL MESSI FIRST FOTBALLER TO BE ON THE TIME MAGAZINE COVER.

Lionel Messi the football super star , from Argentina , and who plays his club football with the Spanish giants Barcelona.
becomes the first footballer in history to be on the cover of the TIME Magazine issue, it was on the Time in Europe, Asia and Australia and Newzealand . It was dated 6/2/2012, Volume 179No5.
This was done after King Leo or Lionel Messi won his third Ballon D Or award in a row.
The only other time a footballer was on the cover of the TIMES was in 1999 when the U.S.A ladies won the Ladies F.I.F.A world cup
Please note that Lionel Messi is only 24 years old.
And the Time magazine did not have Lionel Messi on the cover in the issue in the U.S.A.