If you’ve not noticed or read about it, note that Lionel Messi made Time magazine’s cover for his third straight FIFA Player of the Year award — except in the United States.

Speaking for myself, I’ve had a problem with newsweeklies choosing a separate cover for the U.S. as opposed to the same one they use everywhere else. The problem is that the American climate for soccer (and it’s much better than it used to be) represents too much of a risk (in terms of newsstand sales) for a magazine publisher to run a cover of one of the world’s best athletes who is not American and doesn’t play on American soil.

We have enough trouble with the mainstream populace’s dismissive attitude toward the sport even when Americans play it. It is getting better, but every American soccer/football fan has a litany of anecdotes from friends with derogatory opinions about the sport.

As a fan, I’m massively disappointed. As a working journalist, I understand why it was done. What say you?

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15. jhoolveira answered: que é muito vergonhoso para os americamos!
16. returnofthedeji liked this
17. shannsational answered: No wonder football, sorry, soccer won’t flourish. They’re afraid of putting the world’s best player on the cover. For political reasons? LOL
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20. sliander answered: we can say that Americans are chauvinist, no wonder.
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27. mrmojorisin1970 answered: They would put a reality pseudo- star before they put L.M. on the cover.
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29. makesu1der reblogged this from theworldsgame and added:

    Fucking racist! Bastards.

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32. dodojojo answered: ask any child in the US who is Messi and who is Hillary Clinton, you’ll find out the shocking truth
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35. stillscribbling answered: I think that this tendency for TIME to release different versions in the US and outside itself is ridiculous to begin with.
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38. icyshatteredheart answered: It’s bullshit. Messi is a sporting genius and should be represented as that. America could do with an education on some such things
39. infinitebuzzing reblogged this from theworldsgame and added:

    I was really hoping...cover. I’ve noticed

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41. mypicfunny answered: hi
42. thelovehater answered: I called to order it from the publisher and was told they would get back to me for ordering :(
43. yoni91 liked this
44. nnddrrww answered: US demographics are completely shifting: Time might’ve gained many new readers in the US with Messi on the cover
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47. ralexsparrow answered: Time has chosen to lead their audience rather than follow it. It would be easy to educate their audience with a well-written article. Cowards
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49. pradikanh answered: good
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